2017 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #3 OF Nick Williams

Nick Williams, image- Jay Floyd

Included among the collection of prospects the Phillies obtained in the 2015 trade that sent Cole Hamels to Texas, slugging outfielder Nick Williams is as promising as any of the very talented young players the team has in their developmental ranks.

A second round pick of the Rangers out of Ball High School (TX) in 2012, Williams quickly signed and debuted as a pro. In the rookie level Arizona League, he posted a .313 batting average with a pair of home runs and 27 RBI while swiping 15 bases in 48 games.

The following year Williams played with Class A Hickory in the Sally League. In 95 games, he tallied a .293 average with 17 homers, 60 RBI and eight steals.

In 2014 Williams would open the season with Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach, where he notched a .292 batting average with 13 home runs and 68 RBI in 94 games. That production earned him a promotion to the Double-A level to wrap up that season in August, where he posted a .226/.250/.290 slash line in 15 contests.

The lefty batting Williams returned to Double-A Frisco in 2015, batting .299 with 13 homers and 45 RBI through 97 games. He also represented the Rangers in the MLB All-Star Futures Game. By late July, the trade to the Phillies occurred and Williams transitioned to Double-A Reading, where he suffered a concussion as the result of a collision on defense in the field and missed some time.

Despite that stint on the shelf, Williams posted a .320/.340/.536 slash line in 22 regular season games, helping the Fightins reach the Eastern League playoffs.

Last season, Williams played the Triple-A level for Lehigh Valley, where he batted .258 with 13 homers and 64 RBI.

There was some concern last year with the production at the plate from Williams, as his offensive statistics took a dip, while his walks went down and his strike outs increased. Coaching concerns with his hustle, or lack thereof, at times also began to negatively impact Williams's reputation. Those within the organization don't feel that his 2016 numbers are indicative of what's to come, as Williams, a member of the Phillies' 40-man roster, has been contributing nicely this year in big league spring training (.320/.414/.480 slash line through 13 games).

The hit tool is outstanding for the 23-year-old. With super-fast hands and a considerable amount of power, the Texas native is able to drive any pitch that's within his reach.

Speed may not be a huge factor of his game, but Williams can swipe a bag here and there and he worked hard last year to improve his base running. In his professional career, he has been successful in 48 of 75 (64%) stolen base attempts.

Primarily a left-fielder in the pro ranks, Williams has the quickness and range to play all three spots in the outfield. He is known to make amazing catches with ease and is as reliable on defense as they come. He also has a solid arm that can keep runners conservative.

At six-foot-three and 195 pounds, Williams has a well-proportioned and athletic frame that could still pack on some muscle.

I would expect Williams to open this coming season back with Lehigh Valley, however, if he is able to display the ability to hit the way he's done in spring training, it shouldn't be long before he makes his big league debut. The exciting Williams certainly projects as an everyday big leaguer.

You can follow along with this year’s Phillies prospects countdown by clicking this link.

Rappers in Phillies Caps

Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

Drabek Preparing For Next Step

The transition has been easy for Kyle Drabek. In December, he was part of a package of young prospects that was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for ace pitcher Roy Halladay. Now, as though nothing has changed, he's right back where he was last season...the star prospect on the pitching staff of a team in the Double A Eastern League. Drabek has often stated that he wanted to stay in the Philadelphia organization, who drafted him in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. The 22-year-old thought after the midseason trade rumors, that surrounded him possibly going to Toronto last year, passed with no action that all the turmoil was over and that he could simply relax and focus on getting to the big leagues with the Phillies. That wasn't the case, as the deal eventually came to fruition over the off-season. In the Blue Jays system this season, Drabek doesn't have to worry about being dealt. He only has to concern himself with opposing batters and working on his secondary pit...

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog