Marland Williams Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2156
AVG	.247
OBP	.313
SLG	.37
HR	41

Full name Marland Charmale Williams
Born 06/22/1981 in Gainesville, FL
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School North Florida CC
Drafted in the 36th round (1,088th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Williams was better known for his exploits on the gridiron in high school, drawing attention from national powerhouses Florida and Florida State as a wide receiver. The Diamondbacks did their homework however, and signed him as a draft-and-follow in 2002. His game-breaking speed was once again on display in 2004 as he led the Double-A Texas League in triples while finishing second in stolen bases, but he made little progress in the other aspects of his game. Williams is not only the fastest player in the system, he's the fastest in the history of the organization, having run sub-6.3 60s in spring workouts. He knows how to use his speed in game situations, covering a remarkable amount of ground in centerfield while achieving at an 88 percent success rate as a base stealer. At the plate, Williams needs to learn how to be an effective leadoff man, including improving his patience at the plate. He has just enough power to make him dangerous, and needs to focus more on contact and putting the ball on the ground to beat out infield singles. Williams' 2005 assignment will depend on how much progress he makes in spring training playing the little man's game.
There's not a Diamondbacks prospect quicker or more athletic than Williams. He's a top-of- the-scale runner who gets to maximum speed with an explosive, two-step acceleration. A high school wide receiver recruited by Florida and Florida State, Williams chose baseball and attended North Florida before signing as a draft-and-follow. After he struggled at short-season Yakima in his pro debut, the Diamondbacks aggressively promoted him to high Class A. He met the challenge and showed offensive improvements. Built like Tim Raines, Williams has just enough pop in his bat to get him in trouble. Arizona officials want him to focus on keeping his stroke short and quick and eliminating an uppercut so he can use his feet. He must improve his plate discipline and bunting if he's to be a top-of-the-order hitter. He set a Lancaster franchise record with 57 steals in 2003 and was caught just seven times. His headfirst slides cost him a month of development as he had to sit out after getting his hand spiked during a steal attempt. He's still learning how to get jumps and read pitchers, but he often outruns pickoff attempts, pitchouts and even grounders to the right of shortstop. Williams also outruns balls in center field, showing superior range that makes up for a below-average arm. He'll work on the little ball game in Double-A this year.
A draft-and-follow from 2001, Williams is the fastest player and best athlete in the system. He was recruited out of high school as a wide receiver by Florida and Florida State, but instead chose to pursue baseball. The 2002 Florida community college player of the year, he has one exceptional tool: speed. He has been timed consistently between 6.25 and 6.3 seconds in the 60-yard dash and is explosive. He's at full speed in one step and has a good understanding of how to steal bases. Little wonder, then, that he led the Northwest League with eight triples and 51 steals (in 58 attempts). The rest of Williams' game is raw. While he hit 14 home runs at North Florida, he has just enough pop to get himself in trouble. The Diamondbacks want him to make more contact and hit more balls on the ground to best utilize his jets. He's a legitimate center fielder, covering ground to both sides with an average arm. Arizona will be patient with his development.

Minor League Top Prospects

While Boise's Dwaine Bacon and Chris Walker and Everett's Carlos Arroyo got some prospect support, the speed-burner outfielder who impressed managers the most was Williams. A 36th-round pick in 2001, he signed with Arizona in May as a draft-and-follow. With speed that rates at the top of the 2-to-8 scouting scale, he led the league with 51 steals–20 more than second-place finisher Bacon. Williams also showed some pop offensively, sharing the league lead with eight triples. Williams is very raw, as evidenced by 10 outfield errors and 86 strikeouts, third-most in the league. On a Yakima team that lost 22 games in a row, he kept working hard and showed some aptitude to make the adjustments he'll need to improve. "He was a three-sport athlete, and he's just behind in experience and at-bats," Aldrete said. "His swing has some flaws and he has a long way to go, but he made significant strides this year. He's progressing faster than most raw talents you see."