The Tampa Bay Rays are reportedly calling up their top minor-league prospect, shortstop Carson Williams. The move has not been officially confirmed by the team, but has been reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan and MiLB.com’s Sam Dykstra.
Williams, 22, is ranked as the No, 47 prospect overall by MLB.com and was the Rays’ 2021 first-round pick (No. 28 overall) out of Torrey Pines High School in San Diego. This season at Triple-A Durham, Williams compiled a .213/.318/.447 slash average with 23 home runs, 55 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 451 plate appearances.
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During 2023, he was moved up aggressively during 2023 from high Single-A to Double-A and quickly to Triple-A, where Durham was playing for an International League title. Struggling in a brief four-game stint (batting .077 with a .354 OPS in 15 PAs), Williams played the whole 2024 season with Double-A Montgomery and followed a more conventional development.
Strikeouts are a big concern for Williams, who has whiffed 154 times (34.2%). Yet Rays shortstops, led by Taylor Walls and Ha-Seong Kim, have batted a collective .213 with a .603 OPS and six home runs. That ranks third-worst in MLB in those categories at the position. So Williams potentially provides an upgrade. He is also an excellent defensive shortstop, winning a minor-league Gold Glove award in 2022.
The Rays are out of playoff contention at 61-66, fourth in the AL East and 6.5 games back of the league’s third wild-card spot. Yet Williams could be a factor in the postseason race with series against the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox on Tampa Bay’s remaining schedule.
Williams joins other top minor-league prospects being called up late in the MLB season, including the Cubs’ Owen Caissie, Nolan McLean of the Mets and the Orioles’ Samuel Basallo, according to MLB.com. The Pirates’ Bubba Chandler and Jhostynxon Garcia of the Red Sox are also on their way to the majors.
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