Off Topic
Travelblog of Thom S. Hunter
Editor’s Note: Dammit. Far as I can tell this idiot idea of a beat reporter is going to stick. Guess he’s got low friends in high places. Or at least high friends. And I like to eat, and I got a wife and three kids (that I know of) who need clothes and sneakers. So I got nothing to do but to let the guy write whatever he writes. Good luck reading it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
October 28, 2057: Pasco – Keith Williams was the franchise’s #1 pick in the 2054 draft, #3 overall. And why not? Solid-looking switch-hitter with a respectable if not brilliant glove.
The kid hit all the way through high school, and he’s hit pretty well all the way through his fairly rapid ascent through the ranks, settling in at AAA this season as a 19-year-old. He hit .340/.426/.434 in 14 games at AA before being promoted to AAA, where he hit five homers and dropped a .303/.369/.419 slash to go with a very nice 8.25 ZR. All together, the kid made 4 WAR at AAA (and another .2 in AA).
A peak first at the scout numbers.
One might question if a guy can play shortstop at 6’6.” One might point to a guy named Jared Gillstrom to say it should work out fine. That said, Keith Williams, as nice as he might be, is no Jared Gilllstrom.
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OFFENSIVELY: Williams seems like he would be a fun guy to watch play baseball. He runs like the wind, but can’t steal. He taunts pitchers with the bunt. He switch hits and by his spray chart, balls off his bat could land pretty much anywhere. He hit mostly in the 5 and 6 hole, which makes some sense. He’s not a classic lead-off or power kind of guy. Probably more a #7 kind of hitter at the next level.
When ahead in the count, the guy crushed pitchers to the tune of .415 with a 1.081 OPS.
It’s clear the guy can play baseball.
- - -
DEFENSIVELY, the 8.2 Zone rating he threw down in Pasco was a little unexpected. To be fair, he seems like more of a second baseman than a shortstop. In fact, rumor around town suggests that the team expected (read, hoped) to have Williams patrolling second base on that Atoll come next season, as his path to the bigs is currently blocked by veteran Larry Barkin.
That said, he did a 7 ZR in Kamloops last year, and his hands are as soft as anyone out there. Eight errors in 124 games is nothing to sneeze at.
And as they say on the school yard: Scoreboard.
- - -
DEVELOPMENT: Here’s the thing. While all the results point toward a true north, scouts are still over there in the corner and scratching their heads. They expected to see more growth, so now the stats guys are looking over results again and again. The best they can come up with is that Williams might now be the best bunter in the organization.
We suppose this is good news.
The guy did 4 WAR on the field, and the development crew says he should have even more in him.
If that’s true … well … let’s all shiver together, shall we?
- - -
PERSONALITY: At 19 years old it’s just hard not to like what you see in Keith Williams. Despite that lofty draft slot, he seems to just be happy to be here. Fans love him. Teammates love him. Pitchers love him. It’s pretty sure that fans in Bikini will love him, too. Especially if that Zone Rating is real.
- - -
2058 Projection: As noted, the original thought was that Willaims would head up to the Atoll next year, where he would pair with Barkin to make for a solid defensive infield up the middle for once. That said, the emergence of Napoleon Mellott makes that plan seem a bit less necessary, and the scouts’ scratching of heads has people wondering if we might see Williams repeat AAA so as to keep until Barkin is truly done with the SS position.
Curiouser and Curiouser, as they say.
Expect Williams to get reps at shortstop and second in spring training. Perhaps the tape will be measured then.
- - -
October 28, 2057: Pasco – Keith Williams was the franchise’s #1 pick in the 2054 draft, #3 overall. And why not? Solid-looking switch-hitter with a respectable if not brilliant glove.
The kid hit all the way through high school, and he’s hit pretty well all the way through his fairly rapid ascent through the ranks, settling in at AAA this season as a 19-year-old. He hit .340/.426/.434 in 14 games at AA before being promoted to AAA, where he hit five homers and dropped a .303/.369/.419 slash to go with a very nice 8.25 ZR. All together, the kid made 4 WAR at AAA (and another .2 in AA).
A peak first at the scout numbers.
| LVL | Player Name | POS | B | T | OVR | POT | ConP | GapP | PowP | EyeP | AvKP | Con | Gap | Pow | Eye | AvK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-AAA | Keith Williams | SS | S | R | 50 | 55 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Source | Age | Ht | Wt | SPD | STE | RUN | CAB | CAR | IFR | IFE | IFA | TDP | OFR | OFE | OFA | |
| D54.1 | 19 | 6'6" | 200 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 8 |
One might question if a guy can play shortstop at 6’6.” One might point to a guy named Jared Gillstrom to say it should work out fine. That said, Keith Williams, as nice as he might be, is no Jared Gilllstrom.
- - -
OFFENSIVELY: Williams seems like he would be a fun guy to watch play baseball. He runs like the wind, but can’t steal. He taunts pitchers with the bunt. He switch hits and by his spray chart, balls off his bat could land pretty much anywhere. He hit mostly in the 5 and 6 hole, which makes some sense. He’s not a classic lead-off or power kind of guy. Probably more a #7 kind of hitter at the next level.
When ahead in the count, the guy crushed pitchers to the tune of .415 with a 1.081 OPS.
It’s clear the guy can play baseball.
- - -
DEFENSIVELY, the 8.2 Zone rating he threw down in Pasco was a little unexpected. To be fair, he seems like more of a second baseman than a shortstop. In fact, rumor around town suggests that the team expected (read, hoped) to have Williams patrolling second base on that Atoll come next season, as his path to the bigs is currently blocked by veteran Larry Barkin.
That said, he did a 7 ZR in Kamloops last year, and his hands are as soft as anyone out there. Eight errors in 124 games is nothing to sneeze at.
And as they say on the school yard: Scoreboard.
- - -
DEVELOPMENT: Here’s the thing. While all the results point toward a true north, scouts are still over there in the corner and scratching their heads. They expected to see more growth, so now the stats guys are looking over results again and again. The best they can come up with is that Williams might now be the best bunter in the organization.
We suppose this is good news.
The guy did 4 WAR on the field, and the development crew says he should have even more in him.
If that’s true … well … let’s all shiver together, shall we?
- - -
PERSONALITY: At 19 years old it’s just hard not to like what you see in Keith Williams. Despite that lofty draft slot, he seems to just be happy to be here. Fans love him. Teammates love him. Pitchers love him. It’s pretty sure that fans in Bikini will love him, too. Especially if that Zone Rating is real.
- - -
2058 Projection: As noted, the original thought was that Willaims would head up to the Atoll next year, where he would pair with Barkin to make for a solid defensive infield up the middle for once. That said, the emergence of Napoleon Mellott makes that plan seem a bit less necessary, and the scouts’ scratching of heads has people wondering if we might see Williams repeat AAA so as to keep until Barkin is truly done with the SS position.
Curiouser and Curiouser, as they say.
Expect Williams to get reps at shortstop and second in spring training. Perhaps the tape will be measured then.
- - -