Williams competes in Triple-A All-Star Game

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Houma native Justin Williams isn’t in the Big Leagues yet.

But lots of evidence is beginning to pile up that shows that he’s getting eerily close to making that lifelong dream come true.


Williams was selected to the Triple-A All-Star game in Columbus, Ohio last week — a game which features only the top-tier of minor league baseball players who are at the final rung before making it to the Big Leagues.

Williams, 22, is an outfield farmhand in the Tampa Bay Rays’ system for the Durham Bulls. He entered the All-Star Game as a substitute and finished 0-for-2.

It was the second-straight season Williams was an All-Star. He also competed in the Baseball America Double-A All-Star Game last year while with the Montgomery Biscuits — an honor, which helped him earn his promotion to Durham this season.


Williams, a graduate of Terrebonne High, said this past offseason that his dream is to play in the MLB — a dream that continues to inch closer to reality as he works his way to prominence at the minor-league levels.

“All I’ve ever wanted to do is play in the Big Leagues,” Williams said this past offseason. “That’s been my dream for as far as I can remember. It takes a lot of work and you have to put in a lot of time and a lot of effort to get there. I’m living that right now. But I’m motivated and I’m willing to do whatever I have to do to get to that level and luckily, I’m in a great organization that is working with me to make me into the best player that I can be, which makes me really confident, as well.”

Williams is hitting the cover off the baseball right now, which is what led to his spot on the All-Star Team.


Williams is hitting .269 in 82 games (83-of-309), including a .323 on-base percentage and a .721 OPS (on-base plus slugging).

But what has Williams fast-tracking upward is that he’s starting to mature from a young adult into a man — a transition that is coming with a power stroke that scouts have long been waiting to develop.

Williams has eight home runs this season and a team-high 42 RBI. He bats in the middle of the Bulls’ lineup and has contributed to 123 total bases in his 83 hits (16 doubles, 8 home runs).


But the raw numbers don’t even begin to tell the full story. Williams is playing his best baseball right now. He hit .262 in April, then .242 in May, entering June with a batting average around .250.

But as the weather has warmed up, so has Williams.

In June, he hit .279 with 2 home runs and 14 RBI. So far in July, Williams has been even better, hitting .316 in his first 10 games with 8 RBI and a .840 OPS.


What is even better is that a lot of Williams’ best work has come in key situations. In the first half of the season, he’s batted .308 with runners in scoring position and .280 with two outs. In late game/close game situations, he’s hitting .313 — all metrics which increase his value.

Williams is currently ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the Rays’ farm system — a system which unanimously has been regarded as in the Top 10 in baseball by experts who cover minor league baseball.

“I think the biggest key to professional baseball is having a strong mind and a great determination,” Williams said in the offseason. “Some days are long and tough and it’s sometimes hard to stay focused. But you have to keep working and keep progressing. We all have those low moments. You have to just try and have fewer of them and make sure that they don’t last long when they’re here.”


So now, let’s forecast a little bit.

The Rays are just above .500 heading into the All-Star break, but they have virtually no chance to win the AL East and are close to 10 games back from the Wild Card.

It’s feasible that the team could trade a veteran outfielder at the MLB Trade Deadline on July 31, which could open up a roster spot for Williams’ call-up.


If that doesn’t happen, it’s also feasible that he could be part of the team’s Sept. 1 call-ups when rosters expand.

By that time, the Rays are expected to be fully out of the playoff chase, which could lead the team to test Williams at the Big League level to see what he’s got.

Or, they could keep him in Triple-A all season and send him to the offseason early with hopes of developing him further so that he can try and make the team outright in 2019. Williams played with the Rays’ club in spring training and had success.


He called the experience a thrill, adding that he can’t wait to be with the team every day in the future.

That future appears to be getting closer and closer to the present every day — especially with the way Williams has been hitting and with the recognition he’s been getting from his peers.

Justin Williams


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