On Thursday, ESPN's Jeff Passan published a blog about Jacob Wilson, the West Sacramento A's rookie shortstop currently having a very impressive offensive season of the Luis Arráez variety. He is rocking the second-lowest strikeout rate in the league (behind Arráez) and the second-highest squared-up contact rate in the league (behind Arráez), and, perhaps expected of a man born in the Year of our Lord 2002, Wilson attributes his success to Fortnite.
"Kids are going to love this one. Parents are going to hate me," Wilson said. "I am a big believer in video games. It's fast decision-making strategy. I think that gets me ready for the game, because when you're in the box, you have to process a lot."
Note the sleight of hand here. Both Wilson and Passan say "video games," which compels the reader—me, as one example—to think of "Jacob Wilson" as a "gamer," but they really mean Fortnite. This makes me sick.
I have no opinion on whether or not Fortnite's fast decision-making strategy improves performance in the batter's box, but Wilson's taste is emblematic of a broader issue. It is one I have encountered on multiple occasions, primarily with teenage boys. "Oh, what video games do you like?" I ask, like a clown, in an attempt to draw out a shared interest. I am inevitably disappointed with the answers: Call of Duty? Brave, are we? FIFA? OK, European. Fortnite and PUBG? Third-person battle royale shooters have destroyed the fabric of society.
If Wilson has fallen, it is not a personal failing but a systemic one. But Fortnite! At some point age ceases to be an excuse—I am but one year older than Jacob Wilson. Ever hear of Balatro, brother? It's available on mobile now. Ever hear of Inscryption? I'll get excited about athlete gamers when I hear reports of a small cohort of deckbuilding roguelike freaks gathered in a corner of an MLB clubhouse, exchanging Slay the Spire strategies. Think about the decision-making improvements that'll come during at bats after realizing that cutting cards is, counterintuitively, one of the best actions you can take in a deckbuilder. There's a plethora of metaphorical baseball connections to be made, but you have to go out and make them.
These are hardly deep cuts. If you are instead a fan of broadly indiscriminate killing, what is the point of having a gaming PC if not to be able to turn on ray tracing in the now functional and immensely popular Cyberpunk 2077? You can get some anti-capitalist critique along with very fun mechanics. Anyone who played an ounce of 2D Mario growing up should take a crack at Celeste, which is devastatingly difficult until you finally hone new skills for it to become easy, rather than continually pubstomping casuals. Even Barry "Baby Gamer" Petchesky has played and enjoyed Hades.
I bet that Jacob Wilson doesn't even know that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the leading Game of the Year candidate. I bet that Jacob Wilson could neither spell nor properly punctuate Metaphor: ReFantazio. If Jacob Wilson could teach himself the D&D 5e system through Baldur's Gate 3 and open his mind to the bear sex scene therein, I think he would start hitting for more power. Just one person's opinion!
I'll gladly take Luka Dončić hitting top 500 in the ranked Overwatch grind over the nth well-trodden Fortnite answer. At this point, I'd even take Valorant. On the other hand, the most prominent example MLB has of a player with a true gamer's heart is Curt Schilling. I retract all previous criticism: Jacob Wilson is doing great. Do not touch World of Warcraft, ever.
