East Surry graduate drafted by Phillies

FORT WORTH, Texas — Surry County was represented in the MLB Draft for a third consecutive year.

AJ Wilson had his name called on July 16 and will join the Philadelphia Phillies organization; the 2019 East Surry graduate and 2024 UNC-Charlotte graduate was taken in the 12th round with the 372nd overall pick.

The Phillies entered the all-star break with a league-leading 62 wins and only 34 losses.

Wilson joins his former East Surry teammate Seth Keener, who was drafted by the White Sox in 2023, and Mount Airy native Jackson Ferris, who was drafted by the Cubs in 2022, in the majors.

Wilson enters the Show with college connections as well and has the potential to play alongside his former 49er teammates. Ryan Degges was selected by the Phillies this year in the 17th round, and the pair are the only Charlotte 49ers ever drafted by Philadelphia. Wilson and Degges will reunite with former Charlotte players Paxton Thompson and Joey Hammond, who were previously signed as free agents.

UNC-Charlotte has had a player selected in the MLB Draft by every current organization except for the Miami Marlins and Oakland Athletics.

Wilson, a 6-foot-3 southpaw, is coming off one of the most dominant performances by a relief pitcher in Charlotte history. As a grad student, Wilson set the program record with a 13.04 K/9 ratio this season after a team-high 86 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings of action. He also led the team with 27 appearances.

Wilson ranked fifth in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) for total strikeouts and was second in the league in K/9 while ranking 17th in the country. He also ranked fifth in the AAC with a 1.20 WHIP.

The former 49er was named to the Honor Roll on March 18 after fanning 14 batters in 6 2/3 innings over three games that week — all without allowing a run and only giving up one hit and one walk. He was also featured twice on D1Baseball’s Top 50 Relievers list this season, peaking at No. 15 in the Week Six Rankings.

In his three years with UNC-Charlotte, Wilson finished with the following career stats: an 8-5 record, 62 appearances, 87 1/3 innings pitched, two saves, 123 strikeouts, 43 bases on balls, and 63 runs allowed on 71 hits.

Before coming to Charlotte, Wilson spent his first two college seasons at East Carolina University. He only threw 1.2 innings during his freshman season, which was shortened due to Covid, then tossed 18 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings as a sophomore.

Wilson attracted the attention of pro scouts before he ever stepped on a college field. He was a three-time All-State player at East Surry that was named a USA Today All-American Honorable Mention in 2019.

As a senior, Wilson had 11 wins in 11 appearances while throwing 107 strikeouts. He only gave up 16 hits in 52.2 innings. He finished his senior year with a .420 batting average and had three home runs, nine doubles, 25 RBIs and 34 runs scored.

East Surry had a four-year record of 80-22 during Wilson’s time as a Cardinal, including a 46-6 record during his junior and senior years. The Cardinals won three Northwest 1A Conference Championships 2017-19, and Wilson was named conference player of the year in 2017 and 2019; he shared the honor with fellow major league Seth Keener in 2019.