Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
This is the third college pitcher I’ve profiled, and all of them have similar frames and stuff. And Gavin Williams has a chance to be the best of the trio.
Previous Profiles
- Sam Bachman (June 9)
- Chase Petty (June 11)
- Jaden Hill (June 15)
- Jud Fabian (June 16)
- Adrian Del Castillo (June 18)
- Ryan Cusick (June 21)
- Peyton Stovall (June 23)
Vitals
6’6, 238 pounds
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
DOB: July 26, 1999
Location
Greenville, N.C.
Year: Junior
Rankings
The Athletic: 54
Baseball America: 30
ESPN: 64
FanGraphs: 19
MLB Pipeline: 31
Perfect Game: 17
Prospects Live: 39
Slot recommended bonus (No. 29): $2,424,600
Note: All information of draft prospects compiled from Internet sources, scouting reports and videos.
——
Before a few weeks ago, Williams was a solid MLB Draft prospect. However, a dominant performance against Vanderbilt (7 IP, 1 ER, 13 K), his stock has increased significantly and is firmly a 1st-round prospect. If Keith Law (The Athletic) and Kiley McDaniel (ESPN) updated their rankings, I’m sure Williams would be higher on each list. On the season, he had a 1.99 ERA and struck out 130 hitters in 81 1/3 innings of work.
The physically imposing Williams boasts one of the best pure fastballs in the country, routinely touching 100 MPH. It settles in around the 94-97 MPH range and works well up in the strike zone and also has a little arm side run. His breaking stuff has improved over the course of his college career. His high-spin, high-70s curveball is a weapon against both-handed hitters. It features sharp downward movement and an 11-5 shape. He pairs that with an improving mid-80s slider that looks like a cutter. It still needs some work, but it has the look of a future above-average (or better) offering. He also dabbles with a mid-80s changeup, but it’s far behind the other offspeed pitches.
Williams has a deliberate delivery and good downward plane thanks to his height and near over-the-top release point. His running fastball is sometimes more difficult to command and he can be inconsistent with the release point on his slider. He also has a little bit of crossfire in his delivery. That all leads to some command/control issues, but he has done a good job cleaning up his delivery overall. He has short arm action (despite being so tall) and a very quick arm.
Video
——
Williams has all the makings of at least a mid-rotation starter. He has the stuff and frame to make the leap at the next level. Whichever team drafts him will have a higher ceiling pitcher who also comes with higher risk. His floor is a late-inning power reliever. At No. 29, he should sign without much issue.
