Russell Wilson is coming to play for New York.
But it’s not the first time.
Wilson agreed to a one-year contract with the Giants on Tuesday, but seven years ago this month, the former signal-caller got his chance in pinstripes with the Yankees — once pinch-hitting for Aaron Judge and facing Max Fried.
Russell Wilson hitting in spring training for the Yankees in 2018. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
To rewind, the 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback had once been an intriguing baseball prospect, twice getting drafted by big league clubs (Orioles in 2007, Rockies in 2010) and signing with the Rockies in the latter instance after he played baseball at NC State.
He followed a similar path to his father, Harrison Wilson III, who played the same two sports at Dartmouth.
Wilson played two years in the Rockies’ minor league system as a second baseman and reached full-season Single-A in 2011, but then focused on football after he transferred to Wisconsin.
He was taken by the Rangers in the Triple-A phase of the 2013 Rule 5 draft, and Wilson eventually participated in spring training with Texas the next two years while he was leading the Seahawks — and winning a Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium of all places in 2014.
Three years later, the Rangers traded him to the Yankees for future considerations, and on March 2, 2018, Wilson got his chance to play in a Grapefruit League game with the big league club.
Russell Wilson signing an autograph after a workout at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
“We’ve admired Russell’s career from afar for quite some time,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said then, “This is a unique opportunity for us to learn from an extraordinary athlete who has reached the pinnacle of his profession.’’
In the bottom of the fifth, Wilson came up in Judge’s place to face Fried, who was then a top prospect with the Braves.
Wilson fell into an 0-2 hole before striking out swinging on a 93 mph fastball.
Russell Wilson talks to reporters following the Steelers’ wild-card loss to the Ravens on Jan. 11, 2025, in Baltimore. AP
“The best thing for me is, I had no fear. I went up there with confidence,” Wilson told reporters after his at-bat. “I was ready. I’ll always remember that. I’ll always remember when they announced my name and they call you up there, you get to go up to the plate and the crowd’s going crazy, the Yankees fans. I used to go crazy for Derek Jeter when he walked up to the plate.
“To have that feeling and that experience, I’ll never, ever forget that.”
