Nick Williams

Position: CF
Level: Triple-A
Affiliate: Lehigh Valley IronPigs
League:
Age: 22
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 195
B/T: Left / Left
Acquired: 2nd Rd., 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft (TEX); Acquired by PHI 7/31/15 as part of Cole Hamels trade.

Prospect Spotlight

The Potential Tools: 70 hit, 60 power, 60 run, 50 glove

Strengths: Innate bat-to-ball ability; plus-plus bat speed; explosive wrists and hands; power potential to all fields; ability to square-up premium velocity; tracks pitches deep and IDs spin; has made improvements in plan and approach over past two seasons; plus athlete; plus runner; reads/reactions have shown improvement, will play average in left field.

Weaknesses: Reverts to ultra-aggressive approach at times; has trouble barreling quality spin; arm will flash average but his throws often lose steam; limited baseball IQ; limited defensive value can put added pressure on the bat.

Role Ceiling: 60; first-division regular in left field; all-star potential.

Risk: Moderate; needs to prove improvements are permanent; limited defensive profile puts added pressure on his bat.

Summary: The ability Williams has to naturally put the barrel-to-ball might be second to none in the minor leagues. Williams has premium bat speed and has the ability to lift pitches in all quadrants of the zone to all different parts of the field. He lacks a true defensive home, but his improvements in route proficiency and reactions make some think he could be an average defender in left field, if not possibly in center. With his limited defensive value, there will be added pressure on his bat.