Mariners’ Ben Williamson Plays To His Strengths
As part of a talent-laden 2023 draft class that featured a trio of high school first-rounders, Ben Williamson flew a bit under the radar for a second-round pick.
The 23-year-old third baseman is garnering plenty of attention now.
Williamson had a strong start to the season at High-A Everett, hitting .315/.408/.460 in 29 games. That earned him a May 15 promotion to Double-A Arkansas, where he continued to produce. He hit .275/.383/.392 through his first 13 games.
“He’s a very mature kid with a very mature approach at the plate,” Mariners hitting coordinator CJ Gillman said. “He’s a guy who when you look up and (see) the numbers that he’s putting up, it’s just kind of like, ‘Yeah, that makes sense.’ “
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Williamson consistently hits hard line drives to all fields with his flat righthanded swing. The William & Mary product also has strong plate discipline, with a 13% walk rate and 19% strikeout rate this season.
“He uses the middle of the field (and) he uses the opposite field,” Gillman said. “That’s just who he is. That’s who he’s always been. That’s who he’s going to continue to be . . . He just really knows who he is and sticks with it.”
Williamson had hit just two home runs through 42 games this year, but Gillman is confident he can tap into more power.
“We’ll figure out the power as it comes,” Gillman said, “but I absolutely think it’s in there. He’s a very physical, strong kid.”
Williamson’s greatest tool might be his defense. As a plus defender with an above-average arm, he has made a number of highlight-reel plays at third base. He also has experience at shortstop, where he played about 25% of his college games.
“The defense is slick,” Gillman said. “And it’s no different than the hitting. He prepares, he’s incredibly diligent with it and he takes care of his body. So you just see the best version of him come out on a nightly basis . . . His makeup is off the charts.”
MARINADE
— Righthander Logan Evans, a 12th-round pick last summer who was a revelation in spring training, has continued his meteoric rise with a spectacular start in Double-A Arkansas. The 22-year-old Evans had a Texas League-leading 1.23 ERA and a league-best 0.95 WHIP, with 47 strikeouts and 15 walks in 51.1 innings. He has been especially dominant of late, allowing just two earned runs in 28.2 innings over his past five starts.
— First baseman Tyler Locklear, a 2022 second-round pick, earned a promotion to Triple-A Tacoma on May 28 after batting .291/.401/.532 with eight homers in 41 games at Double-A Arkansas. At the time of his promotion, the 23-year-old slugger ranked third in the Texas League with a .933 OPS.
— Second baseman Brock Rodden, a 2023 fifth-round pick, was hitting .310/.415/.487 with six homers and 15 stolen bases in 49 games at High-A Everett. The 24-year-old led the Northwest League with an .902 OPS.
— Outfielder Lazaro Montes was hitting .330/.429/.534 with nine homers in 48 games at Low-A Modesto. The 19-year-old Cuban slugger led the California League in both home runs and slugging percentage.
— Shortstop Colt Emerson, the No. 22 overall pick in last year’s draft, suffered a small fracture when he fouled a ball off his foot on May 16 at Low-A Modesto
The 18-year-old is expected to be out until early July, according to Mariners GM Justin Hollander.
