During the 2025 NFL season, the New York Giants will have a player whose MLB rights are still held by the New York Yankees. This player is Russell Wilson, the new starting quarterback for the Giants. Although Wilson’s baseball career didn’t reach the major leagues, he was a competent player who participated in spring training with the Yankees.

If he’s seeking a side gig while residing in New York, perhaps the Yankees could use some help at second base. Wilson played 106 games of Division I college baseball at North Carolina State, boasting a .282 batting average with five home runs.

He also tried his hand at pitching during his final season there, striking out eight batters and giving up eight runs over 12.1 innings. Drafted in the fourth round as the 140th overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies, Wilson spent two seasons in the minors, initially with the Low-A Tri-City Dust Devils and later with the Single-A Asheville Tourists.

He hit .229 across these levels, with five home runs and 19 stolen bases. In the 2013 Rule 5 Draft, the Texas Rangers acquired Wilson in the minor-league portion, integrating him into their system, and then in 2018, they traded his rights to the Yankees. Should Wilson decide to return to baseball, he would do so within the Yankees’ organization.

Wilson has participated in Spring Training for both Texas and New York, primarily serving as a motivational figure for his teammates. He did get a chance to bat for the Yankees in the 2019 Spring Training, where he was struck out by then-Braves left-hander Max Fried.