SS Alika Williams, Arizona State
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DoB: 3/12/1999. B/T: R/R
2020 Stats: 1 HR, .250/.359/.344, 1 SB, 4/9 K/BB in 17 games
Three big name college shortstops with similar profiles entered the season jockeying to see who would be the first one taken, though Nick Loftin, Freddy Zamora, and Alika Williams all went in very different directions. Loftin had a bit of a power surge and has separated himself a bit from the other two, while Zamora injured his knee right before the season began and didn't play a single game. Williams, meanwhile, split the difference, starting off extremely slowly by hitting just .152 through his first ten games before heating up a little bit right at the end, picking up multiple hits in five of his last seven games. Still, his .250/.359/.344 line was a far cry from the .333/.429/.474 line he put up in 2019, and he remains very much a glove-first profile.
Offensively, Williams stands out most for his hit tool. He uses a simple, direct swing and a keen eye at the plate to deliver plenty of singles, and he has shown the aptitude to drive balls into the gap and occasionally over the fence, with four home runs in 2019. He boosted his stock significantly by hitting .364/.370/.545 with a home run in 14 games with the US Collegiate National Team over the summer, but that line dropped to a more pedestrian .245/.309/.367 in 15 games in the elite Cape Cod League. Overall, he doesn't project for a ton of power, but he should hit enough to at least hold down a big league role. That's because his glove buys his bat a lot of slack, as he's a no-doubt shortstop who is just about as reliable as they come. He makes all the throws he needs to, he can get to balls in the hole, and he rarely misplays the routine ones.
Together, the projection for Williams is anywhere between a utility infielder and a starting shortstop. At the high end, he could hit 10-15 home runs per season with high on-base percentages, but as a floor he should still be on base enough to hold down that utility role. The slow start to the season probably reduces his chances of cracking the first round, especially with Loftin's emergence, but he could find himself drafted anywhere from the comp round to the second round.
2020 batting and fielding practice
2019 BP and game action with the US CNT
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