Nick Williams Stats & Scouting Report

AB	128
AVG	.25
OBP	.338
SLG	.406
HR	4

Full name Billy Nicholas Williams
Born 09/08/1993 in Galveston, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Ball
Debut 06/30/2017
Drafted in the 2nd round (93rd overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2012 (signed for $500,000).

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Scouts identified Texas high school outfielders Courtney Hawkins and Williams as potential 2012 first-round picks when both were sophomores. While Hawkins has lived up to that billing and likely will go in the middle of the first round, Williams has become the biggest enigma in the state. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder still has first-round tools but rarely demonstrates the aptitude to use them. A lefthanded hitter, he has impressive bat speed and raw strength, but he doesn't use his hands well and is too spread out at the plate. He swings and misses too much and gets fooled by good breaking balls. He has been clocked in 6.5 seconds in the 60-yard dash, yet he has posted below-average running times from home to first this spring. Williams lacks instincts in all phases of the game, taking such poor routes in center field that he may have to move to a corner. With his fringy arm strength, his final destination could be left field. Some scouts think Williams isn't ready to play pro ball and won't go high enough in the draft for teams to sign him away from his Texas A&M--he originally gave a verbal commitment to the University of Texas--unless the tools-happy Rangers decide to take a run.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

Williams was in the middle of his finest season in 2015 at Double-A Frisco when Texas included him in the blockbuster deal for Cole Hamels at the trade deadline. Instead of continuing his upward trend, Williams went backwards in 2016 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Williams' tantalizing physical talent remains intact, but his hitting approach regressed in 2016 as his offensive performance cratered. He walked less (4 percent of the time) and struck out more (26 percent) in 2016 than he did the previous season. Williams must develop better plate discipline to tap into his potential. His hand speed is top notch. He whips the barrel into the hitting zone quickly with a loose, fluid swing, though it can get long. Williams uses the whole field, has good hitting actions and easy plus raw power evident in batting practice, though it hasn't translated into big home run totals yet. Though he doesn't steal many bases, Williams is a plus runner who can play all three outfield spots with a solid-average arm. Williams can still turn into an above-average regular, but his 2016 struggles add greater risk to his projection. He should return to Triple-A in 2017. Philadelphia's outfield is wide open, so a good start could get him to Citizens Bank Park quickly.
Williams was incredibly toolsy as an amateur, showing 6.5-second speed in the 60-yard dash to go with bat speed and strength at the plate and range in the field. The Rangers signed him for $500,000 as part of a draft class that included Lewis Brinson, Joey Gallo and Keone Kela. He represented Texas in the 2015 Futures Game before becoming part of the six-player Cole Hamels trade in late July. Since his raw amateur days, Williams has made incredible strides. He still boasts well above-average bat speed as well as one of most skilled sets of hands in the minor leagues. Though Williams is criticized for playing too deep and for a wandering sense of effort in the outfield, nobody questions his raw ability. With a few adjustments, he could easily stay in center field over the long term. If he does have to move to a corner, his plus throwing arm makes right field a viable option. He's a true five-tool player whose ceiling will be determined by how hard he works. While Williams missed 11 days late in the season with a concussion sustained in an outfield collision, he returned to hit three home runs over eight games in the Eastern League playoffs. He should move up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start 2016, with a spot in Philly there for the taking when he's ready.
Williams had an up-and-down season as a high school senior, which is why he was available in the second round despite an explosive tool set. He crushed both Class A levels but struggled in an August 2014 bump to Double-A Frisco and during a stint in an Arizona Fall League, showcasing a tantalizing ceiling but a high-risk offensive approach. Williams has some of the fastest hands in the minors. He has a loose, free and easy swing that's quick and explosive. He has plus raw power and can go deep to any part of the park, though his stroke is more geared for line drives than loft. Scouts consistently praise Williams for his hitting actions, even though he strikes out frequently. That's because he has trouble recognizing pitches and chases too many balls out of the strike zone, which leads to excessive strikeouts and minimal walks. Williams is an above-average runner with an average arm, so he's rotated between all three outfield positions. He's still learning to become a more efficient basestealer, which will improve once he's able to time his jumps better. Scouts inclined to dream on Williams think he can become the Rangers' version of Carlos Gonzalez. If he can't shrink his strike zone, then his approach carries enough risk that the downside could be Felix Pie. He will return to a loaded Frisco team in 2015.
Williams slid to the second round of the 2012 draft after an inconsistent senior season. After missing a month early in 2013 when he hurt his shoulder making a diving catch, Williams finished third in the low Class A South Atlantic League in slugging (.543). He has natural hitting actions, an easy lefthanded swing and lightning hand speed. While his swing doesn't generate a ton of loft, Williams produces above-average raw power with his strength and bat speed, clubbing an equal number of home runs to left and right field. He seldom pops up a ball and makes consistently hard contact when he connects, but he has a high strikeout rate and rarely walks. He's a free-swinger easily fooled by soft stuff, which throws off his balance and causes his swing to get long. Williams' home-to-first times don't reflect it, but he's a plus runner and led the SAL with 12 triples. With Lewis Brinson in center field, he played left and will probably stay there, though the Rangers could experiment with him in center. He has an average arm. Williams has the physical gifts to be an everyday corner outfielder, but he'll have to become a more selective hitter. He'll jump to high Class A Myrtle Beach in 2014.
Area scouts zeroed in on Williams and Courtney Hawkins, a pair of Texas Gulf Coast area high school outfielders, as potential 2012 first-round picks when they were sophomores. While Hawkins went No. 13 overall to the White Sox in June, Williams had an uneven senior year and slipped to Texas in the second round. After signing for $500,000, he hit .313 in his pro debut while showcasing excellent bat speed, hitting instincts and a knack for barreling the ball. The Rangers said he had the quickest hands in their instructional league camp. By contrast, amateur scouts thought he was too spread out at the plate and had trouble picking up spin on breaking balls. Williams has been clocked at 6.5 seconds in the 60-yard dash, but he turns in fringy running times during games. He lacks the instincts to handle center field on an everyday basis, and his substandard arm mandates that he spend most of his time in left, particularly if paired with 2012 first-rounder Lewis Brinson.

Draft Prospects

Scouts identified Texas high school outfielders Courtney Hawkins and Williams as potential 2012 first-round picks when both were sophomores. While Hawkins has lived up to that billing and likely will go in the middle of the first round, Williams has become the biggest enigma in the state. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder still has first-round tools but rarely demonstrates the aptitude to use them. A lefthanded hitter, he has impressive bat speed and raw strength, but he doesn't use his hands well and is too spread out at the plate. He swings and misses too much and gets fooled by good breaking balls. He has been clocked in 6.5 seconds in the 60-yard dash, yet he has posted below-average running times from home to first this spring. Williams lacks instincts in all phases of the game, taking such poor routes in center field that he may have to move to a corner. With his fringy arm strength, his final destination could be left field. Some scouts think Williams isn't ready to play pro ball and won't go high enough in the draft for teams to sign him away from his Texas A&M--he originally gave a verbal commitment to the University of Texas--unless the tools-happy Rangers decide to take a run.

Minor League Top Prospects

Williams was finishing off a breakout 2015 season when the Rangers traded him to the Phillies at the deadline as a part of their return for Cole Hamels. He started his first full season in his new organization well, but faded badly in the second half. Williams was pulled from multiple games for not hustling and denied a September callup by the Phillies. Williams has standout raw tools but is still learning to become a consistent, everyday player. He has a quick, explosive, lefthanded swing that generates well above-average bat speed and plus raw power. His pitch recognition has been a problem throughout his career, leading to high strikeout totals and minimal walks. After improving both his strikeout and walk rate last year, Williams regressed in his first taste of Triple-A and whiffed 25.8 percent of the time. The Phillies played Williams in all three outfield spots this season. He's a solid defender with above-average speed and arm strength.
Scouts struggled to pick a favorite between Williams and former Frisco outfielder Nomar Mazara. (The Rangers dealt Williams to the Phillies in the Cole Hamels deadline deal.) Both are tooled-up, lefthanded-hitting outfielders whose bats will do most of the carrying. Those who favor Williams cite his ability to help a team even if he doesn't hit, for he has the speed and fast-twitch ability to play center field. He sometimes lacks the passion to do so, however, and many criticized him for playing too deep. Williams' throwing arm is above-average, meaning he could comfortably slide over to right field. At bat, Williams has shown steady improvement. Once comfortable just swinging as hard as he could and as often, Williams now has a plan when he comes to the plate. He spits on breaking stuff he once chased and keeps the barrel in the zone longer. He has shown power to all fields, where he once was happy just flipping the breaking ball to left field. He projects to have solid-average power and average hit ability. "He can be the complete package," one manager said. "The only thing holding back Nick Williams is Nick Williams. (In center) he doesn't have that 'want' to go get the ball. He has to be pushed to be that guy, but he has a very high ceiling.""
The smooth-swinging Williams may not have quite as much of the wow factor as teammates Joey Gallo or Jorge Alfaro, but he put together a terrific season at Myrtle Beach. He finished fifth in the CL batting race and second in slugging. "He's an above-average outfielder who can hit and hit for power," Potomac manager Tripp Keister said. Williams signed for $500,000 in 2012 and then shot up prospect rankings the following season, when he hit .293/.337/.543 at low Class A Hickory. He made it to Double-A for a 15-game trial this season on the strength of a quick, strong lefthanded stroke that draws at least average hit and power grades from scouts. "He's going to be an impact player," Lynchburg manager Luis Salazar said. "I think he'll reach the big leagues next year. He reminds me of a young Will Clark with his swing."
Simply by looking at Williams? batting average, he would appear to have the best approach of anyone in the Hickory lineup. In reality, his approach is still somewhat raw. His hands are so quick and work so well, however, that it?s hard to decipher whether he just set up the pitcher for something he can drive or he accidentally hit a line drive on a pitch that fooled him. ?He?s the guy who can look bad one at-bat and the next three at-bats hit missiles off of you,? Hickory?s Ragsdale said. Williams gets good swings against lefthanders (he hit .265/.340/.458 versus southpaws) as well as righthanders, but like his teammates, he needs to learn to recognize breaking balls and when to keep the bat on his shoulder. He walked about once a week while striking about once a night. Williams showed significant improvement defensively in left field as the season went along, and some scouts believe he could handle center if he was on a team that didn?t have Brinson.

Top 100 Rankings

Scouting Reports

Background: Williams was in the middle of his finest season in 2015 at Double-A Frisco when Texas included him in the blockbuster deal for Cole Hamels at the trade deadline. Instead of continuing his upward trend, Williams went backwards in 2016 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Scouting Report: Williams' tantalizing physical talent remains intact, but his hitting approach regressed in 2016 as his offensive performance cratered. He walked less (4 percent of the time) and struck out more (26 percent) in 2016 than he did the previous season. Williams must develop better plate discipline to tap into his potential. His hand speed is top notch. He whips the barrel into the hitting zone quickly with a loose, fluid swing, though it can get long. Williams uses the whole field, has good hitting actions and easy plus raw power evident in batting practice, though it hasn't translated into big home run totals yet. Though he doesn't steal many bases, Williams is a plus runner who can play all three outfield spots with a solid-average arm.

The Future: Williams can still turn into an above-average regular, but his 2016 struggles add greater risk to his projection. He should return to Triple-A in 2017. Philadelphia's outfield is wide open, so a good start could get him to Citizens Bank Park quickly.
Scouts struggled to pick a favorite between Williams and former Frisco outfielder Nomar Mazara. (The Rangers dealt Williams to the Phillies in the Cole Hamels deadline deal.) Both are tooled-up, lefthanded-hitting outfielders whose bats will do most of the carrying. Those who favor Williams cite his ability to help a team even if he doesn't hit, for he has the speed and fast-twitch ability to play center field. He sometimes lacks the passion to do so, however, and many criticized him for playing too deep. Williams' throwing arm is above-average, meaning he could comfortably slide over to right field. At bat, Williams has shown steady improvement. Once comfortable just swinging as hard as he could and as often, Williams now has a plan when he comes to the plate. He spits on breaking stuff he once chased and keeps the barrel in the zone longer. He has shown power to all fields, where he once was happy just flipping the breaking ball to left field. He projects to have solid-average power and average hit ability. "He can be the complete package," one manager said. "The only thing holding back Nick Williams is Nick Williams. (In center) he doesn't have that 'want' to go get the ball. He has to be pushed to be that guy, but he has a very high ceiling.""