Luke Williams in 2015

phillychuck 2021-06-10 03:48:34 UTC #1

Do you folks remember he was a really off-the-board pick at #3 in that draft? Next Phils' pick after Kingery. With Randolph maybe playing well enough to get promoted, the top three picks in that draft will at least reach the big leagues (if Randolph completes the trio). We really didn't like the Williams pick in the 2015 draft thread...

https://www.philliesphans.com/t/the-2015-philadelphia-phillies-mlb-draft-picks-signings/42176/150

About post 150 in the above thread. Not in the BA top 500 when picked, he has exceeded expectations already. Hero for a day!

fish 2021-06-10 04:12:29 UTC #2

He was one of the worst hitting prospects I've ever seen continuously promoted lol. Good for him- clearly his athleticism kept him employed and after a long road he's made good on it..

zambonir 2021-06-10 04:29:37 UTC #3

What's interesting to me, if a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, is that they very deliberately brought along Luke Williams as a guy with eight gloves, whereas Kingery just got thrown into it, and now Williams is the one playing CF.

bkox 2021-06-10 05:24:11 UTC #4

Williams only played 3B in his first 3 minor league seasons. Then in 2018 in CLW he played every position besides SS and C. Whats interesting is hes only played 15 games (out of 458) in CF professionally before today

The real question though is will he be able to continue this. Has he changed or found something in 2021? He has a career minor league OPS of .655. ANd even his year in hitter friendly Reading was only.714.

And if he has found something.. and so has Randolph.. do the Phillies have someone new coaching that has brought out the hitters in these guys?

zambonir 2021-06-10 06:06:41 UTC #5

Well yes, in 2018 he was a guy in High A of whom the Phillies said, "this kid will only make it as a utility guy" whereas that same year they decided Kingery was a surefire major leaguer who couldn't even have his service time manipulated (not that I'm in favor of such things). Just ironic.

andyb 2021-06-10 11:56:48 UTC #6

At least I was appropriately anti-Randolph in that thread as we were speculating that they were going under slot with Williams to help go over slot for Randolph whose defensive questions were being raised when he was drafted. Though I think most of us thought Randolph could at least stay in the infield at 3B at that time as he really did not have ideal speed for the OF either.

Looking back at all the athleticism comments on Williams in high school, one wonders even more about the Phillies development system that kept him at 3B for 3+ years in a position where he could not really use his speed as much.

zambonir 2021-06-10 15:49:33 UTC #7

"quickly"

The Phillies drafted Williams in the third round in 2015 as he was one of the final picks made by former general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. The Phils quickly molded him into a super-utility player as he played every position in the minors except pitcher and catcher.