Sebastian 'Sushi' Wilson reaffirms commitment to Tennessee baseball
Tennessee isn't just a solid football recruiting school as they have posted a successful past when recruiting baseball prospects, as well.
One of the more impressive prospects to recently be recruited is Sebastian “Sushi” Wilson.
Wilson is a 2027 Vols baseball commit who pledged in 2022 when he was in the 7th grade. He is an outfielder from Illinois who is getting in touch with Tony Vitello and Tennessee as much as possible.
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“My recruitment has been going well," said Wilson. "It’s been hard with the new rules where we can’t talk to the coaches outside of the camps but when I went to them as recently as January I had a blast and loved the work I’ve been putting in so I would say it’s in a good place right now.”
Wilson has been consistently posting his workout videos and hitting clips on all of his social media especially his Twitter/X.
While Wilson is a sought after prospect, there doesn't seem to be any reason to worry about him looking anywhere other than Knoxville.
"Tennessee is still the top place any player can go," said Wilson. "To me, it’s just the dream school. Amazing coaches, amazing fans, amazing school body and academics. It’s just a great school all around and I’m excited to be there."
The talented prospect committed at a young age so to see him completely locked in still after over two years of being committed speaks volumes to what Vitello and his staff are doing.
Part of the recruitment pitch is pointing to the players they've already developed at Tennessee. However, some commits never step foot on campus. Instead, they hear their name called in the MLB Draft and forgo their college eligibility.
While there is still plenty of time for Wilson before he'd have to make this choice, he has already begun to weigh the options.
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"I’ve been talking to my parents about this and I believe it’s just going to come down to what I want when the time comes," said Wilson. "It’s so early in the process that it’s hard to say but as baseball players, we want to get to the highest level we could be and the MLB is the dream that we want to get to."
Although Wilson is open to playing for any MLB team, a specific team does catch his eye.
“I don’t have a preference for any MLB team but it sure would be sweet to come back to my hometown Cubbies," said Wilson. "I would have a blast if I went to the Cubs.”
Wilson is versatile and could fill any of the three roles in the outfield. However, he feels like he is best fit to play in center.
As the center fielder, there needs to be a mix between athletic ability and speed and knowledge of the game. As the leader of the outfield, the corners rely on you to make calls.
Wilson is built for this role and sees success at it at his current level.
“My ideal position in the next level is center field," said Wilson. "I would say I’m a five-tool player and center fielders need to have great speed to play (center field) at the next level. I pride myself on having great baseball IQ, as well, so that plays a major role in patrolling in the center.”
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Center is also known by many, especially in the MLB, as the general and the captain of the boy's back deep. To have that leadership role may be something that intrigues the young talent.
With Tennessee playing a dream school role for Wilson, he wasn’t shy to acknowledge he models his game after a former Vol who played this position.
“I think my Tennessee player model is Drew Gilbert because we both have a sweet lefty swing and can patrol the outfield really well," said Wilson.
Gilbert is a high-level prospect for the Mets despite being drafted by the Astros in the first round.
He has faced some adversity in the world of injuries early on but is expected to be called up within the next two years. He was known as a high-level athlete with a leadership mentality alongside his notorious walk-off grand slam in the 2021 Knoxville Regional over Wright State.
Along with Gilbert, there is an MLB star Wilson models his game after.
"I model my play style like Juan Soto," said Wilson. "We both have the fiery spirit to get anyone up and going and both come up in the clutch. We are both left-handed hitters and great defenders, as well."
While there is a need for athletic ability to become a highly-touted recruit, there is a mental edge that can make the difference. Wilson is confident he has this and its in part due to how much of the sport he digests.
“I pride myself on my baseball IQ," said Wilson. "I watch so much baseball and I just breathe baseball. I love playing the game and that separates me from everyone else. Not everyone watches and pays attention like I do. I’m also an all-around good player and I am a very good teammate."
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