‘A good kind of grind’
Prospect provides look at life during pandemic inside Giants’ alternate camp in Sacramento
Imagine being 22 years old, 2,600 miles from home and participating in what amounts to an endless spring training in the wicked Central Valley heat, living mostly alone in a hotel room and rarely venturing outside except to go to the ballpark.
This is the life of Will Wilson, a top Giants prospect who for nearly two months has been stationed at the organization’s alternate camp in Sacramento, working out daily and playing mostly shortstop in scrimmages held every two to three days.
Wilson is one of roughly 30 prospects, journeymen and optioned majorleaguers who head to the Giants’ TripleA park Monday through Saturday to learn their craft and prepare for a possible bigleague callup, the pandemicera equivalent to the minor leagues.
Wilson is an unusual case, an Angels firstround pick in 2019 from North Carolina State whom the Giants essentially bought in a trade last winter for veteran infielder Zack Cozart. The Giants almost immediately released Cozart, eating the roughly $13 million left on his contract, the price of wresting Wilson from the Angels.
The Giants believe he can be an integral part of their infield
“When you get to the field, it’s very normal. Things are not weird, which is nice.”
for years to come once he arrives.
“It was a weird feeling, honestly, until I got to understand what the trade was and the value of the Giants picking up Cozart’s salary,” Wilson said. “It was weird to be traded in my first year, but at the same time it’s good to feel wanted, which I really appreciate.”
The alternate camp has been a mystery because fans and reporters are not allowed inside. There is no coronavirustesting infrastructure for outsiders as there is at Oracle Park.
To get a firsthand glimpse, The Chronicle asked Wilson to write a diary of a typical day, morning until night. He then answered questions about the entries.
The day he chose was Friday, Sept. 4. All quotes are from the interview with Wilson:
8:15 a.m.: Wake up, fill out Home Screen and check email.
The Home Screen is a daily online questionnaire asking whether the player has had recent COVID19 symptoms or been around anyone who has. Wilson and the other players also must take their temperatures with the survey. Anyone who enters Oracle Park for Giants games, including the press, must complete the same questionnaire.
8:30 a.m.: Use Theragun and PowerDot on legs for recovery.
The Theragun and PowerDot are an electric muscle massager and stimulator that help keep muscles loose. Wilson said his agents sent him the devices.
“I do it as a precautionary measure just to avoid things like a muscle strain or a muscle pull. Nowadays, the things you can find that set you apart, even small things, are really good. Anything you can do to prevent an injury down the road is something I’m going to try.”
9:15 a.m.: Do devotion and read through the Bible.
Wilson was raised in a devout Southern Baptist family in western North Carolina. Some family members teach Sunday school. His brotherinlaw is a youth pastor. Wilson often conducts Bible study via Zoom with catching prospect Patrick Bailey (a former N.C. State teammate) and two other friends.
“It’s become part of my identity. Also, being out here, I have a lot of free time. In the mornings when I wake up, just to calm myself, relax and set my mind, I pray. I read through my Bible to get my mind away from what I’m going through here and develop more into the habits I want to be in.”
10:45 a.m.: Swing by The Porch to pick up a late breakfast.
Wilson’s wife, Tori, who has visited him twice in Sacramento, found a K Street restaurant near his hotel that serves Southern cooking. “Really good sweet tea, biscuits and gravy and things like that.”
11:15 a.m.: Eat back at the hotel and hang out with Tori.
Some players have kept wives and girlfriends away because of COVID19 fears, but Wilson said most invite them to Sacramento, at least part of the time.
“They’ve done a good job here allowing us to send tests back home. I sent her tests before she came out here. While she’s here she can come get tests if anything happens.”
Wilson said having his wife in town even for five days, like her last visit, “absolutely” helps him get through the daily grind of baseball and quarantine.
Noon: Do mock fantasy football drafts for Sacramento league.
Fantasy football is a huge part of professional baseball culture (for entertainment purposes only, of course). The draft is a summer highlight in bigleague clubhouses.
Wilson is part of a 14team league that includes players from the alternate camp and others who were promoted to San Francisco, including Joey Bart and Rico Garcia.
Two days before Sunday’s draft, Wilson went on the Draft Wizard website to do his mock. He had the fifth overall pick and chose Saints running back Alvin Kamara.
“I have a solid team. Nothing crazy. I’m probably a middleofthepack guy. Hopefully we can sneak in some waiver wires and trades and get up there.”
Despite his North Carolina upbringing, Wilson roots for the Washington Football Team because it’s his father Brad’s team.
12:45 p.m.: Relax in the hotel with Tori and watch TV.
A generation ago at that time of day they would have watched soap operas and game shows. Now the Wilsons watch Hulu. Will said he rewatched the “Arrow” superhero series and has found a series about country music stars called “Nashville.”
1:45 p.m.: Head to the field.
2 p.m.: Checkin and testing.
Players take coronavirus tests every other day, just like majorleaguers. They provide saliva samples that are sent to a lab, which usually returns results within 48 hours. The Sacramento alternate camp has not had a positive test because, Wilson said, players take the quarantine seriously.
“It’s a respect level that people stay in their lane and do their things and not doing anything crazy out here.”
Will and Tori took walks and drove to get food. They even found a contactless drivein movie theater.
“If you can find ways to get out and do things and you’re not around people, and obviously be respectful and responsible, I think you can go out and do things like that,” he said.
2:15 p.m.: Roll out and body prep. 2:45 p.m.: Eat at the field. 3:30 p.m.: Early groundball work. 4 p.m.: Stretch and throw. 4:15 p.m.: Infield and outfield.
4:30 p.m.: Hit batting practice on the field.
6:15 p.m. Sixinning intrasquad game.
“When you get to the field, it’s very normal. Things are not weird, which is nice.”
Things are also tedious, with players facing the same opponents every day in the oppressive Sacramento heat, the atmosphere now infused with fire smoke as well.
“Physically, they’ve done a good job keeping our bodies ready and prepared because anything can happen. We’re one step away from the big leagues.
“Mentally, first of all there’s not much intensity when you’re scrimmaging with the same people every day. I think you really have to focus and lock in for your atbats and defensive reps. It’s been a grind, but a good kind of grind, if that makes sense.”
The scrimmages last two to six innings, depending on availability of pitchers. Most start in the evening to wait out the heat. In this game, Wilson singled in four atbats.
8:45 p.m.: Game over, shower and take food back to the hotel.
The Giants now provide a chef who prepares two meals a day for minorleaguers, part of an effort to improve conditions. Wilson said he does not grab food for his wife out of respect for a chef who has to work hard to feed players, coaches and stadium staff. She usually DoorDashes her dinner.
9:15 p.m.: Eat food at hotel, watch TV and hang out with Tori, check in on Giants game.
Wilson said he tries to watch the big club not as a fan, but a student.
“Just trying to find a way to get better. Obviously you don’t lock in like you’re playing games the whole time, but if a righthanded batter is up I try to put myself in his shoes and think, what would my approach be here? How would I face that guy there? Nothing too strenuous. Just something to make me think a little bit.”
10 p.m.: Quick round of golf on “PGA Tour.”
Wilson said he is not much of a video game guy, but he likes this one. His father won a Big South Conference championship for Campbell University. As for real golf ?
“I don’t enjoy it as much as he does. It’s slower paced. It’s fun when you’re playing good and I don’t really play good all the time.” 11 p.m.: Go to sleep. A long day is over. It’s tedious, it’s hot, but it’s another 24 hours closer to the majors for a prospect the Giants coveted.
“I could be sitting at home doing nothing,” Wilson said. “It’s good to look at it that way. I couldn’t ask to be anywhere better right now.”