Background
Wilson was born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia where his father, Jim Wilson, worked as a geologist for Aramco. Wilson grew up as a Boston Red Sox fan.
Wilson was born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia where his father, Jim Wilson, worked as a geologist for Aramco. Wilson grew up as a Boston Red Sox fan.
Wilson attended Hurricane High School in Hurricane, West Virginia, then attended Winthrop University.
He previously played for the Boston Red Sox. Jim played college football in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics at Hanover College before being cut by the Cincinnati Bengals, declining an offer the Green Bay Packers and returning to graduate school. The family moved to New Orleans when Wilson was two years old and then moved to Kingsport, Tennessee, where Wilson spent the majority of his youth.
College and Minor Leagues
Collegiate Baseball named him the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2006.
In the summer of 2007, he had Tommy John surgery. He transferred to Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University in January 2008.
He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 10th Round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft, but did not sign. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 2nd Round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft.
In November 2012, Wilson was added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.
Boston Red Sox
On March 16, 2013, Wilson was optioned to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox to begin the season. He was called up to the Red Sox on April 7 when John Lackey went on the disabled list, and made his Major League debut on April 11. He was optioned to Pawtucket on May 29, and recalled on June 13 when Alfredo Aceves was optioned to Pawtucket.
Wilson pitched in the Major Leagues for parts of the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
He threw 27 2⁄3 innings for the Red Sox in 2013 and posted a 4.88 European Research Area. He performed much better in his 28 1⁄3 Major League innings in 2014, recording a 1.91 European Research Area. Detroit Tigers
On December 11, 2014, the Red Sox traded Wilson along with Gabe Speier and Yoenis Céspedes to the Detroit Tigers for Rick Porcello. On May 27, 2015, Alex Wilson got his first career major league start for the Detroit Tigers against the Oakland Athletics, where he went 3 scoreless inning with 52 pitches.
Foreign the season, he pitched 70 innings (including a team-high 67 in relief), with 16 games finished, 2 saves, a 2.19 European Research Area and a 1.03 WHIP.
Wilson throws three primary pitches. He has a four-seam fastball that averages 92 mph (tops out at 95 mph), a two-seam fastball at 91-92 mph (tops out at 94 mph), and a slider in the 84-86 mph range (tops out at 89 mph).
Wilson himself has described his two-seam fastball as a cutter, though PitchFX lists it as a two-seamer.
He also throws an occasional curveball and changeup. Wilson is the second Saudi-born player in MLB history, after Craig Stansberry.
