Sunday Notes: An Infielder Only, Carson Williams Has a Bright Future as a Ray
Carson Williams is a high-profile prospect in a fertile Tampa Bay Rays farm system. Drafted 28th overall in 2021 out of San Diego’s Torrey Pines High School, the 20-year-old shortstop is No. 20 in MLB Pipeline’s recently-released Top 100, and he will also rank prominently when our own list comes out next month. His 2023 production provided ample evidence of his plus tools. Playing primarily at High-A Bowling Green, and with cups of coffee at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, Williams walloped 23 home runs while putting up a 130 wRC+.
Erik Neander was effusive in his praise when giving a synopsis of the young infielder during November’s GM Meetings.
“Incredible physical potential in all aspects of the game, both sides of the ball,” Tampa Bay’s President of Baseball Operations told me. “And someone who is made to do this, mentally and emotionally. He handles it well. It’s pretty close to a total package in terms of his potential and the ingredients you like to see at such a young age.”
Fittingly, Williams came off as both humble and self-aware when I spoke to him late in the Arizona Fall League season. Asked where he is in his development, he replied that he was “right in the middle of it,” adding that “the minor leagues are a tough road” and he is “going through all of the normal things that a kid out of high school has to.” One of them, as he readily admits, is the challenge of competing against professional pitchers who possess bat-missing repertoires. If a red flag exists within his prospect profile, it would be the 31.4% strikeout rate on last year’s ledger.
“I’m working on my contact rate,” acknowledged Williams.“I’m not worried about the exit velos, the launch angles, or anything like that. My swing is powerful, so when I put the ball in play it is usually coming out hot. Right now, my focus is on putting the ball in play. The more I put the ball in play, the better hitter I will be.”
He could have been a pitcher. Many scouts preferred him on the mound, and there are those who believe he could even succeed as a two-way player. I broached that subject with Tampa Bay’s top executive.
“That would be a better question for him,” said Neander. “It was something where he certainly had a lot of talent on the mound, but ultimately there was a desire for him to have the opportunity to play shortstop and be an every-day player.”
Was it Williams’s desire to settle solely on short, thereby forgoing pitching?
“That was our opinion of where he was better, and it seemed to align well with where his interests were,” was Neander’s reply to that question. “We had him evaluated stronger on that side of the ball, and it’s why we took him. He signed, and we couldn’t be more pleased with his development.”
Williams demurred when I asked for his own thoughts on the subject.
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Danny Taylor went 14 for 62 against Bill Swift.
Reggie Jackson went 6 for 15 against LaMarr Hoyt.
David Justice went 3 for 28 against Ken Hill.
Jerry Goff went 1 for 6 against John Smoltz.
Ron Kittle went 0 for 3 against Jeff Montgomery.
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I ran a poll this week asking which of two theoretical middle-infield combinations people would prefer, Lou Whitaker–Jimmy Rollins or Chase Utley–Alan Trammell. The results were relatively one-sided, with the latter pair garnering a hefty 77.7% of the votes cast.
The poll was a thought experiment more than anything, so there is no real reason to debate the results. That said, here are a smattering of their combined numbers:
Whitaker-Rollins: 4,824 hits, 475 home runs, 613 stolen bases, 117.7 WAR.
Utley-Trammell: 4,250 hits, 444 home runs, 390 stolen bases, 125.3 WAR.
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A quiz:
Who holds the MLB record for most games played as a first baseman?
The answer can be found below.
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NEWS NOTES
Terry Ryan and Rick Stelmaszek have been elected to the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. Ryan served as the team’s general manager from 1994-2007 and again from 2011-2016. Stelmaszek, who died of cancer in 2017, was a member of the club’s coaching staff for 32 consecutive seasons beginning in 1980.
Ryan Braun has been elected to the The Milwaukee Brewers Walk of Fame. Braun spent his entire 14-year career with the Brewers, bashing a franchise-best 352 home runs and logging a 135 wRC+ from 2017-2020. His résumé also includes six All-Star berths, a Rookie of Year award, and a National League MVP award.
The Miami Marlins are reportedly hiring Brandon Mann as a pitching strategist. An erstwhile MLB and NPB southpaw who has worked as an instructor at Driveline, Mann was featured here at FanGraphs in June 2020.
Ballpark Digest has chosen Alex Cohen as their 2023 Broadcaster of the Year. A guest on FanGraphs Audio back in August 2021, Cohen calls games for the Iowa Cubs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
The Visalia Rawhide (Low-A, Arizona Diamondbacks) have hired Joey Gonzales as their new play-by-play broadcaster. An intern in 2023, the Texas State University alum replaces Jill Gearin, who will now be calling games for the Atlantic League’s Charleston Dirty Birds.
Steve Staggs, an infielder who played with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1977 and for the Oakland Athletics in 1978, died last Sunday at age 72 (per Baseball Player Passings). One of a dozen Alaska-born players in MLB history, the Anchorage native logged 94 career hits, the first of them a home runs in his big-league debut.
Red Swanson, a right-handed pitcher who appeared in 42 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955-1957, died this week at age 87. A bonus baby, Swanson made his big-league debut when he was 18 and threw his last big-league pitch three weeks before his 21st birthday. His career log includes a 3-3 record and a 4.90 ERA.
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The answer to the quiz is Eddie Murray, who played in 2,513 games as a first baseman.
A related Murray note: The Hall of Famer started three big-league games as a third baseman, all with the Baltimore Orioles to open the 1978 season, and with Lee May stationed at first. The Orioles were outscored 40-11 while being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the season-opening set.
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Bill James revealed on Friday that he recently suffered a stroke. Per his social media message, the renowned writer/statistician/historian is “more or less OK,” with numbness in his right hand seemingly the primary issue. Needless to say, the entire world wishes him the best in his recovery.
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A random obscure former player snapshot:
Bibb Falk — his given name was Bibb August Falk — batted .314 while playing for the Chicago White Sox from 1920-1928 and the Cleveland Indians from 1929-1932. Born in Austin, Texas on January 27, 1899, the left-handed-hitting outfielder had his best season in 1926 when he slashed .345/.415/.477 with a 134 wRC+ and a career high 195 hits. He went on to be the head baseball coach at the University of Texas from 1940-1967.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Hiroki Kuroda and Motonobu Tanishige were announced last week as the newest members of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. Kuroda won 124 games over 13 seasons with NPB’s Hiroshima Carp, and 79 games over seven seasons pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. Tanishige, who caught for Yokohama and Chunichi in a career that spanned the 1989-2015 seasons, played in 3,021 games, the most in Japanese history.
The Perth Heat and Adelaide Giants advanced to the Australian Baseball League championship series earlier today, with each winning the deciding game of a best-of-three semi-final matchup. Adelaide edged past the Melbourne Aces 2-1, while the Heat beat the Brisbane Bandits 5-4. The finals — beginning next Friday — will be a repeat of last year, which saw the Giants come out on top.
The Kia Tigers have suspended manager Kim Jong-kook, who is being investigated for bribery charges (link to story here). The KBO club’s general manager had been fired a year ago due to similar improprieties.
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MLB NOW recently presented a list of the Top 10 left fielders not in the Hall of Fame, this per the opinion of Bob Costas. I’m on board with the bulk of the selections, with one notable exception. Costas included Kirk Gibson, who started just 456 games at that position over the course of his career. Moreover, Gibson isn’t even the best non-Hall of Fame Detroit Tiger to have played left field with any regularity. No offense to Gibson, but he logged 1,553 hits, 2,686 total bases, a 123 wRC+, and 35.9 WAR. Bobby Veach, who started 1,653 games as a left fielder, logged 2,063 hits, 2,942 total bases, a 124 wRC+, and 43.8 WAR. Gibson has postseason heroics on his side, but that is largely circumstantial. Veach’s October résumé comprises just two plate appearances, both at age 37 in his final season.
Veach played from 1912-1925, all but the last two years in a Detroit uniform, and to say that he was overshadowed by teammates would be an understatement. Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, and Harry Heilmann were all Tigers during his tenure, and each has a plaque hanging in Cooperstown. Veach wasn’t their equal, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t one of ten best left fielders not in the Hall of Fame. Even if he isn’t, he has better credentials than Gibson.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
Pitcher List’s Nate Kosher looked at eight players who belong in the Hall of Fame.
The Cleveland Guardians 2024 home opener, on April 8, will take place amid a total solar eclipse. Zack Meisel wrote about it at The Athletic (subscription required).
Carter Stewart is set to begin his sixth season pitching in Japan, this after signing with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks rather than with the Atlanta Braves, who’d drafted him eighth-overall out of a Florida high school in 2018. Jim Allen talked to the 24-year-old right-hander for The Kyodo News.
Roki Sasaki re-signed with NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines this week, but only for one year as he hopes to take his immense talent to MLB. Thomas Harrigan has the story at MLB.com.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Brandon Marsh has a .384 BABIP, the highest among active players with at least 1,000 career plate appearances. Bo Bichette has a .349 BABIP, the highest among active players with at least 2,000 career plate appearances.
Joe Mauer played in 1,858 games and had a .306 batting average and a 123 wRC. Ernie Lombardi played in 1,853 games and had a .306 batting average and a 125 wRC. They are the only two catchers in MLB history with multiple batting titles.
Anthony Rizzo has 6,961 plate appearances, a .364 OBP, and a 128 wRC+.
Bob Watson had 6,962 plate appearances, a .364 OBP, and a 128 wRC+.
Félix Hernández pitched in 419 games and went 169-136 with a 117 ERA+.
Kevin Appier pitched in 414 games and went 169-137 with a 121 ERA+.
Hall of Fame southpaw Warren Spahn had eight 21-win seasons. He also had two 22-win seasons, two 23-win seasons, and one 20-win season.
Wilbur Wood had 138 wins and 53 saves from 1968-1975. The left-handed knuckleballer tossed 22 shutouts over that eight-season stretch.
The San Francisco Giants signed Dan Quisenberry as a free agent on today’s date in 1990. The once-great closer went on to take the mound just five times for the Giants, logging a 13.50 ERA in his final big-league season.
On today’s date in 1982, the California Angels acquired Doug DeCinces and Jeff Schneider from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Disco Dan Ford. DeCinces went on to leave the yard 30 times while logging a 147 wRC+ in his first season on the West Coast. All told, he homered 130 times in six seasons as an Angel.
Players born on today’s date include Emil Yde, a left-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1924-1927 and for the Detroit Tigers in 1929. The Great Lakes, Illinois native went 16-3 with a 2.83 ERA in his rookie season, followed by a 17-9 record for a team that went on to win the 1925 World Series in seven games over Walter Johnson’s Washington Nationals.
Also born on today’s date was Pete Runnels, a left-handed-hitting infielder who captured American League batting titles with the Boston Red Sox in 1960 and 1962. A career .291 hitter over 14 big-league seasons, Runnels went 0-10 in stolen base attempts with the Washington Nationals in 1952, five years before the team was rebranded the Senators in 1957.
David Laurila grew up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and now writes about baseball from his home in Cambridge, Mass. He authored the Prospectus Q&A series at Baseball Prospectus from December 2006-May 2011 before being claimed off waivers by FanGraphs. He can be followed on Twitter @DavidLaurilaQA.
Heck yeah to Bob Watson and Kevin Appier getting some love in this piece. I only saw an older Appier as a very young fan, only recently have come to notice the guy was a beast of a SP. Never saw Watson play but heard the name constantly watching the Yankees growing up (I’m a Cubs fan very grateful to have grown up mostly watching winning Yankees teams instead. Basically lucked into seeing Kerry Wood’s 20 K start on WGN)
I randomly caught Carson Williams v Brody House in Fredricksburg during 2022. House was the home player and the one I was
more aware of, but knew Williams was a first rounder and watched him dominate that game on both sides of the ball. Been on the wagon since
When Appier pitched for the Mets in 2001 they would put up this King Kong-style INSANE APE animation on the scoreboard for his Ks, which always struck me as a very funny choice for such a seemingly mild-mannered guy. Somehow remained underrated for his whole career.
Can’t believe I whiffed on Murray for the quiz, given that he was my favorite player as a kid (my brain is old!).
I went with Mark Grace who’s 5th all time, not counting Jake Beckley who played a good portion of his career in the 19th century.
The weird one is the guy in 3rd place (behind Murray and McGriff). It’s Mickey Vernon, who I’ve heard of but couldn’t tell you a thing about. In fact, he’d easily be in first place had he not missed two seasons in his prime to WWII.
I got that one after a little reflection. Murray was the initial thought, then I thought “he played DH for a while”, but, then remembered he played for LAD & NYM for a few years after leaving Baltimore, so stuck with him.
My other thought was Cap Anson because I knew he played a long time.
I never thought of Mickey Vernon or Grace or Helton for that mateter.
I picked Keith Hernandez. Right era, wrong guy. I didn’t even think of Murray, but if I had would have assumed too many games at DH.
I went with McGriff. I assumed Murray DHed more than he did.
Grace really only played First Base his whole career. Other than one appearance as a pitcher, he never played anywhere else, and he also only logged one game as a DH.
Lou Gehrig would have presumably run away with this if not for his tragic demise.
Freddie Freeman has a strong chance to break this record. In his next four seasons in LA, he’s unlikely to DH very frequently with Ohtani around. He only needs to average 139 games per season at first base over the next four seasons to break the record.
I’d never really dug that deeply into Wilbur Wood’s career before, other than knowing that he was one of the great early knuckleballers. Crazy. Wasn’t given a chance to start until 1971 at the age of 29, at which point he throws 334 innings with a 1.91 ERA. This is after being a relief stud for the previous 5 years (and being unjustly kept in the minors for a year before that – where he put up an insane year as a starter – despite having had prior ML success because his manager, famous a-hole Harry Walker, thought he was too quiet). He then continues on as a stud for the next four years, until his career is essentially put to pasture by a fractured kneecap off a line drive from Chet Lemon, one of the all-time HOVG players.
What could have been! A few twists the other way and we’re talking about HOFer Wilbur Wood. Niekro before Niekro.
Yes! I like that his bWAR was 11.7 in 1971, amazing for a pitcher.
Followed up with a 10.7 bWAR the next year.
At first glance it doesn’t look there is any video of him online, which is a shame. Would have liked to see a lefty knuckler.
Love the random pitcher-hitter matchups. Taylor & Swift, Lamarr & Jackson. Justice & Hill
If only Pat Mahomes Sr had faced Jim Rice or Travis Hafner! & there is no MLB Amon Ra to pair with Goff!
I loved the Disco Dan Ford reference. As a little kid, EVERYONE loved him because he was a cool dude & he had an extreme closed batting stance. Not a great player, but, a memorable personality.
I don’t see why anyone picked Whitaker-Rollins. Trammell is so far ahead of Rollins. I also prefer Utley to Whitaker but you can make an argument for the other way.
It’s wild the NPB career games-played leader was a catcher. I don’t know what percentage of his games were behind the plate, but it’s impressive regardless.
According to BB-Ref, he played a grand total of one game at 1B, and 177 as a DH. That is insane. 2849 games as a Catcher.
Yadier Molina played 2186 games as a catcher, for reference. That’s over four full seasons short of Tanishige!
Carson Williams is a good prospect but the people out here thinking he’s going to be like Trevor Story, Bobby Witt, JJ Hardy, or Jose Valentin are probably getting ahead of themselves. There’s a decent chance that he winds up in as a Mike Zunino or Keon Braxton type of batter. Which still might be enough to play with the defense but it’s a lot less exciting.
I think the wrong stat is used for the Felix-Appier fact. Despite his 1.000/1.000/4.000 slash in 2008, Felix ended his career a -11 wRC+ hitter.
Yes, the author meant ERA+
Bob Costa’s Top Ten Left Fielders Not in the Hall of Fame
Several notable omissions, Sherry Magee, Charlie Keller, Bob Johnson. and Lance Bergman, who is usually considered a left fielder. Manny Ramirez was probably excluded for obvious reasons.
I don’t think it’s obvious why Ramirez was excluded. It’s not like you can exclude him based on steroid use, actions detrimental to the game of baseball, or being a jerk. Those are well-represented on this list. And he would make the list for performance reasons, since Manny played much better than almost all the other players on that list.
Matt Holliday probably also belongs on the list over half of the players Costas mentioned. And I’m not really sure how you decide between most of the guys on that list and guys like Carl Crawford, Ray Lankford, and Christian Yelich.
Ramirez did “fail” two drug tests, which is probably why Costas excluded him Although, both Rose & Jackson were permanently suspended for gambling . I guess it’s a case of picking your poison. Matt Holliday could easily be include and Jose Cruz and Roy White, among others, also merit mention.
Perhaps Costa’s classified Ramirez as a right fielder, he does consider Kirk Gibson a left fielder.
I’m not sure Pete Rose is a LF, either. He played the most at 1B & between 5100 & 5800 innings played at LF, RF, 3B & 2B.
That said, the other thing about this list is after Bonds, Rose, Manny, Shoeless Joe, you have about 12-13 guys that all seem kind of similar in overall value though they’re different type of players with different career shapes:
Belle, Howard, Foster, Alou, Holiday were defensively challenged sluggers
Keller & O’Doul were great for a short period with nothing else.
Williams & Bob Johnson & Magee are pre-integration guys with shortish careers
Cruz, Roy White, Crawford, Lankford were faster, less power, high BA, all-around players
& if I really thought about it, I could probably think of a few other guys that are similar. the reality is the fact they’re all so similar probably means none of them are HOF worthy.
Cruz actually had good power but home games in the Astrodome?
He had 20 Hr power in a time when 20 meant something.
Good speed, too.
50 WAR despite the dome and playing two years too many.
Part of the three Cruz brother outfield in 73. Not many brother acts managed that and they played all nine innings, batting 1-2-3.
Honestly, if i was to put any of those 12-13 guys in the HOF, I would pick Cruz.
He didn’t get a chance to play until he was 28. & Put him in a normal offensive environment & he’d have been a star..put him in Coors Field in the 1990’s & he would have been Larry Walker Lite.
Ryan Braun in a hall of fame? I guess drugs do pay off, at least for that lying dirtbag.