Preston Wilson
A powerful-hitting outfielder who delivered one of the most unique family stories in baseball while launching towering home runs for the Colorado Rockies.
Born 1974 (age 52)·American baseball player and manager·Birthday: July 19·Generation X
Biography
Preston Wilson carried baseball in his blood and a potent bat in his hands. The son of a former minor leaguer, his family story took a remarkable turn when his mother later married New York Mets star Mookie Wilson, making Mookie both his stepfather and uncle by marriage. Drafted by the Mets, Wilson's own promise was clear: he combined impressive speed with raw, right-handed power. His career truly ignited after a trade to the Florida Marlins, where he became a centerpiece, leading the National League in RBI in 2003. A subsequent move to the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field with the Colorado Rockies saw him belt a career-high 36 home runs. Though injuries later slowed him, Wilson's peak seasons were marked by thrilling, all-out play. He has since returned to the game as a manager in the MLB Draft League, guiding the next generation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Preston was born in 1974, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Preston Was Born
The biggest hits of 1974
#1 Movie
The Towering Inferno
Best Picture
The Godfather Part II
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Preston's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1974Born
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1979Started school
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1987Became a teenager
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Could drive
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1992Could vote
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Turned 21
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2004Turned 30
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 40
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 50
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 52 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the National League with 141 Runs Batted In (RBI) during the 2003 season while with the Florida Marlins.
- Hit a career-high 36 home runs for the Colorado Rockies in 2003, the same year he made the NL All-Star team.
- Recorded a 30-30 season (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases) in 2000 with the Florida Marlins.
- Finished 9th in voting for the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2003.
Did You Know?
He is both the nephew and stepson of former New York Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson.
He hit his first major league home run off pitcher John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves.
He was part of the trade that sent Mike Piazza from the Florida Marlins to the New York Mets in 1998.
In 2005, he was traded from the Rockies to the Nationals in a deal that involved another power hitter, Jamey Carroll.
“You can have all the tools, but you have to produce when you're in the lineup.”
