Carson Williams

Williams won MVP of the WWBA Championships last fall and entered the spring as one of the top two-way players in the class. Most teams initially preferred him as a pitcher, but he added 10-15 pounds and began showing significantly increased power this spring to become one of the draft’s biggest risers as a position player. Williams now flashes above-average-to-plus raw power and shows the ability to get to it in games. He hit towering home runs that scraped the top of the trees beyond the left-field fence at his home stadium this spring, and even balls he mis-hit went out to his pull side. He has the ability to drive balls the other way for extra-base hits and frequently delivers in clutch situations. While Williams’ performance was loud, evaluators are divided on how much he will hit as a pro. Some see a potentially above-average hitter with plus power, but others are skeptical and see a grooved swing without a lot of adjustability and think he’ll struggle with a wood bat. Defensively, Williams is a good athlete with a polished glove and the plus arm strength to stay on the left side of the infield. He has a chance to stick at shortstop and be an average defender, but most project him to move to third base as he gets bigger. Williams sits 92-95 mph on the mound and has a short, biting slider that gets swings and misses to give him a fallback as a pitcher if his bat stalls. He is committed to Cal and will require a sizable bonus to sign.