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After 20-plus years of grinding – long, hard days of batting practice, fielding work and hundreds of games, Houma native Justin Williams can finally see the top of the mountain.
He’s now officially one step away from playing in the Big Leagues – the pinnacle he’s chased for his entire life.
Williams was placed on the Tampa Bay Rays’ 40-man roster this past offseason and he played with the big-league team for a couple games in spring training – facing MLB competition at the plate, while playing alongside Evan Longoria, Chris Archer and some of the other well-known Rays.
Once spring training finished, the Rays announced that Williams didn’t make the big-league team, but he did get a dose of good news that will enhance his career.
Instead of going to Double-A Montgomery where he played for most of last season, he’d been promoted to Triple-A Durham – one rung away from the Major Leagues.
Williams, now 22, is a graduate of Terrebonne High School. He’s one of the best local ball players in recent years – a well-known local standout who has been in the headlines for years.
But to be this close to his dream is a feeling that’s unrivaled – something Williams said makes him feel good because all of the hard work is starting to finally pay off.
“It’s just amazing, man,” Williams said during spring training. “This is all that I’ve ever dreamed of and it’s everything that I’ve ever worked toward in my career. I just have to stay focused, keep working hard and know that if I do that, good things will happen and everything will work out for the best.”
Williams is a prodigy with a bat in his hands.
Ever since his underclassman seasons at Terrebonne High, the local standout has dominated games with his powerful, left-handed batting stroke, which also comes with the ability to hit for both contact and power.
In high school, Williams was incredible – earning just about every honor imaginable, shooting up the charts to be considered one of the top baseball prospects in the country.
He committed to LSU in his junior year at Terrebonne, but Williams’ eyes were always on playing at the highest level.
Williams hit with a wooden bat his entire senior season in high school, which was done to serve as a showcase for the countless professional scouts that frequented his games.
After finishing up at Terrebonne, the Arizona Diamondbacks picked Williams in the second-round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He signed and bypassed his chance at college ball, opting to begin his pro career.
Since that time, a lot has changed for Williams. After two seasons in the Diamondbacks’ organization, he was traded with the Rays.
Since playing with the Rays, Williams has tested Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A ball – while getting promoted to the 40-man roster and working with guys at the big-league level.
And at every stop, Williams has done one thing consistently – he’s crushed the baseball.
In 440 games as a professional baseball player, Williams has hit .308 with a .349 on-base percentage. He has 36 career home runs with 264 RBI and he’s recorded 101 doubles and 12 triples.
Williams has played at every minor-league level and has enjoyed stops with several teams.
But he’s been a tough out at every, single level, which has earned him the distinction as one of the Rays’ top prospects in their farm system. According to MLB.com, Williams is currently the No. 10 minor league player in their system. Other ranking services have him even higher.
Last year, Williams played for Double-A Montgomery and hit .301 with 14 home runs and 72 RBI in 96 games. He battled a couple of injuries throughout the year, which prevented him from a 100-RBI campaign.
The year before that, he split time between Montgomery and Single-A Charlotte, hitting .295 combined between the two stops with 10 home runs and 59 RBI.
This year, Williams is testing the Triple-A level – working against high-level pitchers who either have MLB experience or who are just below the highest level.
It’s not mattered to Williams.
In the first seven games of the season, he’s recorded seven hits in 23 at-bats for a .304 batting average. He’s also walked three times, which has his on-base percentage up over .400.
But no matter the accolades that come to Williams, he said his only focus is on the present and making sure that he wins every, single day.
Williams said life as a minor league baseball player is tough, adding that there are no luxury, first-class flights or anything that the average person might thing a professional athlete gets.
But at the end of the day, he said he does understand that he’s playing baseball for a living and that is a dream – a life that he’s always worked hard to live and maintain.
“I have no complaints,” Williams said. “It’s a grind, but I wouldn’t want it any different. I just want to keep working and competing and trying to make my way up to that highest level.”
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