Did Russell Wilson get drafted ahead of Jacob deGrom and Aaron Judge in the MLB Draft?

Football fans are well familiar with the name Russell Wilson. But many fans do not realize that Wilson had a promising budding baseball career before he took the field in the NFL.

Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, Wilson was talented in both football and baseball from a very young age. He was pursued by colleges offering scholarships in both sports when he graduated from high school in 2006.

"Proving the doubters wrong. Why @DangeRussWilson transferred in college, choosing football over baseball." - @ NFL Films

After completing high school, Wilson was eligible to be drafted by both MLB and NFL teams. He has said that the Baltimore Orioles were serious about taking him early in the draft if he had made it clear that he wanted to play in the MLB. The Orioles ultimately drafted him in 2007, but not until the 41st round.

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Russell Wilson was torn between two worlds

Russell Wilson chose to attend North Carolina State University, where he became one of the most dominant quarterbacks in the history of their football program. However, he also played second base for their baseball team and put up some impressive numbers with them.

Over three seasons playing for the NC Tarheels, Wilson hit five home runs and 30 RBIs in 106 games. Following his graduation, he reported to the Colorado Rockies' training camp and appeared in 93 games for the Rockies' minor league affiliates in 2010 and 2011.

"Russell Wilson should try to go play baseball next year, no joke" - @ Kangaroo Step

Although he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2012, Wilson's rights were traded to the New York Yankees in 2018. He appeared in training camp for the team a handful of times, however, his obligations in the NFL prevented him from ever going any further.

Being drafted in the 41st round bears similarities to New York Yankees star Aaron Judge. Judge, another football phenomenon, was split between the two sports until relatively late. He was selected by the Yankees in the 31st round of the 2010 Entry Draft by the Oakland Athletics. Jacob deGrom, on the other hand, was selected in the ninth round in 2010.

As the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos, it has become clear that Russell Wilson made a sound choice. He is a man with obvious athletic superiority. Perhaps it would have been interesting to see him make a career in the MLB.