Turns out that Russell Wilson hasn't lost his touch with the bat after all.
The Seattle Seahawks' superstar quarterback made his first appearance at spring training with the New York Yankees - the team that now holds his MLB rights - on Monday, and looked right at home stepping up to the plate.
Wilson got right in the thick of things by taking batting practice in the same group as Yankee stars Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez, and Greg Bird. Not only did the All-Pro pivot show off his power with six home runs during the session, but Wilson actually out-homered Sanchez 6-5 on the day, according to ESPN's Coley Harvey.
The @Yankees have their QB1. #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/R03H6gRD2w
— MLB (@MLB) February 27, 2018
Not bad for a guy who claimed he hadn't swung a bat in several years.
"This (baseball) is what I've known my whole life," Wilson told reporters, including Harvey, after Monday's practice. "Now, I couldn't just step on a basketball court. I wouldn't be good at basketball, but baseball, it's like riding a bike once you get back out there for me. It's not an easy sport, though. It's very, very difficult."
Wilson joined the Yankees after they acquired his baseball rights from the Texas Rangers in a January trade, paving the way for his spring appearances in Tampa. While he will be on the bench during some of their Grapefruit League contests, manager Aaron Boone confirmed Monday that the 29-year-old won't be seeing any game action this spring.
Although the primary reason for his appearance in Yankees camp is to spread the wisdom and leadership he's gained as an NFL quarterback to the baseball team's younger players - he won't be appearing in any games, manager Aaron Boone confirmed Monday - Wilson, who spent two years in the Colorado Rockies organization as an infielder, wowed his new teammates with his baseball skill set during workouts.
"He has a chance for anything. He's an athlete," Judge told Gabe Lacques of USA Today. "The way you see him moving there, taking ground balls, swinging in BP. You can't be a quarterback of a Super Bowl team without being an athlete.
"He was making throws at second base like it was a quick-out route - quick and efficient. If he did it for a couple years, he'd have a shot."
"He did not look rusty at all," shortstop Didi Gregorius added, per Harvey.
Of course, the mere presence of a Super Bowl champion may also provide the rest of the Yankees clubhouse with some additional thrills outside of baseball in the days to come.
"I (asked him), 'Hey man, did you bring a football?'" Judge - a former wide receiver himself - said, according to Lacques. "He says he'll have one by the end of the week, so you might catch us out on a back field running some routes."
