Several challenges marked Wilken's 2024 season. He was hit in the face by a pitch early in the year, which led to lingering vision issues that affected him throughout the season. Off the field, he and his wife also welcomed their first child. That's a positive personal milestone, but at the same time, balancing professional responsibilities with family life added another layer of adjustment during the season. He spent the offseason focused on recovery and on restoring his vision.

The early results in 2025 were very encouraging, highlighted by an outstanding May in which he hit nine home runs and posted a 170 wRC+. However, a knee injury suffered while celebrating Biloxi's first-half playoff clinch limited him to just 14 games the rest of the year, and he did not appear fully healthy during that stretch. Even so, his first 280 plate appearances showed clear signs of offensive improvement.

Power production remains a defining part of Wilken's profile. Despite playing roughly two-thirds of a full season, he finished third in the Southern League with 18 home runs. His plate discipline was a strength, reflected in a 20% walk rate, though he did allow a notable number of hittable pitches in the zone to pass by, and it's fair to question whether the overall approach is a bit too passive at the moment. Swing-and-miss remains part of the profile, with elevated whiff and strikeout rates contributing to a definite power-over-contact approach.

Defensively, Wilken has shown steady progress at third base. While some evaluations have graded him below average at the position, his play has suggested the potential to develop into a serviceable defender. His arm strength is a clear plus, and he has generally handled routine plays well. At times, he has shown some difficulty charging softly hit balls, which seems to be tied more to his reads off the bat than to any athletic limitations.

Wilken is expected to begin the 2026 season at Triple-A, and may have reached that level earlier if not for the knee injury. With the Brewers continuing to evaluate long-term options at third base, his performance and defensive development could position him as a major-league option in the near future.