Ryan Williams
| IP | 319 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.47 |
| WHIP | 1.185 |
| BB/9 | 1.665 |
| SO/9 | 6.545 |
- Full name Ryan Arthur Williams
- Born 11/01/1991 in Morgan Hill, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School East Carolina
- Drafted in the 10th round (289th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2014 (signed for $1,000).
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
While scouting righthander Jeff Hoffman, whom the Blue Jays drafted ninth overall in 2014, the Cubs saw Williams, a Californian who had a successful two-year run with East Carolina. Williams started for one year and was a bullpen workhorse as a senior, working 100 innings as a reliever, before signing with the Cubs for $1,000. He already has provided tremendous value after a boffo first full season in 2015, in which he climbed to Double-A Tennessee and earned the organization's minor league pitcher of the year award. A physical sinkerballer with a slinging arm action and three-quarters release point, Williams pounds the zone with his fastball, which touches 90-91 mph but often sits at 86-87. Late life has made the pitch difficult for pro hitters to square up, and he gave up just two home runs in 142 innings in 2015 and led the minors with a 0.90 WHIP. He has excellent control, ranking among minor league qualifying starters with 1.14 walks per nine innings, and also above-average command, thanks to present strength that helps him repeat his delivery. He mixes in a curveball, slider and changeup, and he adds a split-finger pitch. Williams will have to keep serving up worm-burners to stick in the rotation long-term but could develop into a durable middle reliever. He should earn a Triple-A Iowa rotation spot to open the season.
