111 games, zero errors: Wilson sets MLB record at shortstop

BOSTON -- As obscure as it might be, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson broke a Major League Baseball record Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park.

With his 111th consecutive error-free performance during a 4-3 win over the Red Sox in front of 36,817, the 24-year-old surpassed Mike Bordick’s 2002 mark with the Orioles for consecutive games played at shortstop without a miscue. Wilson’s last error came more than 13 calendar months ago, on July 6, 2025.

“It’s a special day for me, but at the end of the day, we got our first series win in a long time against a great opponent,” Wilson said. “We’ve got to keep that ball rolling.”

The A’s won two out of three in Boston to snap a streak of 12 straight series losses. J.T. Ginn recorded a quality start with six innings pitched and one earned run, but he also allowed two unearned runs before exiting. He conceded five hits, walked two and struck out two in a no-decision. The A’s tied it in the eighth, and regained the advantage in the ninth on Max Muncy’s two-out double off Aroldis Chapman. Hogan Harris pitched a scoreless ninth to secure his 11th save.

The A’s previous series win came June 12-14 against the Rockies in Las Vegas. Their last road series win before this weekend was against the Cubs from June 2-4 at Wrigley Field.

“Outcome of the weekend was really good,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “To do that in Boston against one of the hottest teams in baseball? I’m pretty happy with the performance.”

Also of note, A’s second baseman Jeff McNeil recorded his 1,000th career hit with an eighth-inning single.

Surveying the clubhouse for thoughts on Wilson’s defensive skills resulted in an overarching theme: reliability.

Tommy White has perhaps the best perspective on Wilson’s fielding prowess, playing both first and third base. Not only does Wilson cover a lot of ground, but he consistently delivers pinpoint throws across the diamond with zip.

“He definitely has the consistency side of things down pat,” said White, who recorded his first career RBI in the win. “The stats don’t lie. … He really takes in the second half of the play. Everyone sees the glove, but it’s the accuracy of the arm.”

Veteran infielder Donovan Walton pointed to Wilson’s preparedness day in and day out. He puts in the work necessary to understand what might come. It also doesn’t hurt that Wilson’s father, Jack, played the position for 12 years in the big leagues. Having a good teacher shows, Walton said. Along with crediting his defensive-emphasizing father, Wilson also noted daily work with third-base coach Bobby Crosby.

“He’s fun to watch and makes incredible plays,” said Walton, who has parts of seven MLB seasons under his belt. “Even ones that are tough to get to, he makes them. … It’s been impressive to watch ever since I got here.”

It’s not just Wilson’s fellow infielders who value his work.

A day after twirling perhaps the best start of his young career, rookie starting pitcher Gage Jump said he feels “very confident” every time a ball is hit Wilson’s way. What Wilson does every day stands out, both for flashiness and just making the right plays.

“He makes amazing plays,” Jump said. “It’s great having defense like that behind you. It kind of takes a little bit of stress off your back.”

Ginn echoed similar sentiments.

“The way he prepares and works,” Ginn said, “that stuff doesn’t come by chance.”

Wilson’s official defensive metrics back up the anecdotes. Per Statcast, Wilson’s eight Outs Above Average ranks ninth among MLB shortstops this season. And he’s improved after registering negative numbers in the statistic over his first two seasons. He ranks tied for 27th among all players in fielding run value and tied for eighth among shortstops.

Bordick, who played for the A's from 1990-96, went errorless for 544 consecutive chances. Wilson entered Sunday at 323 and had a busy day early on. He nabbed a popout in the first and another in the second on the infield-fly rule. He handled a groundout in the third and helped turn a 4-6-3 double-play to end the fourth. Wilson fielded another routine groundout in the fifth.

Having won back-to-back games for the first time since June 25-26, the A’s head back to the West Coast to host a three-game series against American League-leading Tampa Bay.

“It’s a great series win for us. We needed it,” Wilson said. “We’ve got a tough opponent ahead of us and need to keep the ball rolling.”