Mason Williams (baseball)

Mason Williams

Williams with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees – No. 66
Outfielder
Born: (1991-08-21) August 21, 1991
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Bats: Left Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 12, 2015, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
(through 2015 season)
Batting average .286
Home runs 1
Runs batted in 3
Teams

Mason Williams (born August 21, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut on June 12, 2015.

Early life

Williams was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.[1] He excelled for the local Little League team. After Mason completed the seventh grade at St. Teresa School, his family moved to Winter Garden, Florida, where he could compete against a higher level of competition with the hopes of receiving a college baseball scholarship.[2]

Baseball career

Williams attended West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida, and played for the school's baseball team. The New York Yankees selected Williams in the fourth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft.[3] He signed for a $1.5 million signing bonus to forgo his scholarship to the University of South Carolina.[4]

Williams started his career with the Gulf Coast Yankees of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2010. He appeared in five games, hitting .222/.263/.222 in 18 at bats. He spent the 2011 season playing for the Staten Island Yankees of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League, where he hit .349/.395/.468 with three home runs, 31 runs batted in and 28 stolen bases in 68 games. After the season he was named the New York–Penn League's Most Valuable Player.[5]

Prior to the 2012 season, Baseball America considered him the Yankees fifth best prospect for the 2012 season.[6] They also ranked him first among prospects in the New York–Penn League.[7] Keith Law ranked Williams as the 34th-best overall prospect in baseball while MLB.com ranked him as the 73rd-best.[8][9] Williams began the year with the Charleston RiverDogs of the Class A South Atlantic League, where he hit .304/.359/.489 with eight home runs and 19 stolen bases in 69 games before earning a promotion to the Tampa Yankees of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. With Tampa, he hit .277/.302/.422 with three home runs in 22 games before dislocating his left shoulder on July 25.[10] On November 20, 2014, he was added to the Yankees' 40-man roster.[11]

After starting 2015 with the Trenton Thunder of the Double-A Eastern League, the Yankees promoted Williams to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of the Triple-A International League on May 20.[12] The Yankees promoted Williams to the major leagues on June 11.[13] In his major league debut on June 12, Williams hit a home run in his second at-bat, which was his first Major League hit.[14] Williams separated his right shoulder in a game on a June 19 and went on the disabled list.[15][16] He had season-ending shoulder surgery on August 7.[17]

Williams's career is notable, as he was the first MLB player to wear jersey number 80 in a game.[18]

Personal

Williams' father, Derwin Williams, played in the National Football League for the New England Patriots. His grandfather's brother, Walt Williams, played Major League Baseball from 1964 through 1975 as an outfielder with the Houston Colt .45s, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees.[19][20] Williams has a younger brother, Kobe.[2]

References

  1. ↑ McNamara, Kevin (May 25, 2015). "Former Darlington Little League star back in Pawtucket, as a Yankees prospect". Providence Journal. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  2. 1 2 McGair, Brendan (June 16, 2012). "The son becomes the father: Derwin and Mason Williams". The Call. Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Yankees draft pick: West Orange's Mason Williams takes brother under wing". tribunedigital-orlandosentinel. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Name to Watch: Super prospect Mason Williams". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Mason Williams Named Player of the Year — Staten Island Yankees News". Staten Island Yankees. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  6. ↑ "BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Rankings: Organization Top 10 Prospects: 2012 New York Yankees Top 10 Prospects". baseballamerica.com. January 4, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  7. ↑ "BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Rankings: League Top 20 Prospects: 2011 New York–Penn League Top 20 Prospects". baseballamerica.com. September 26, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Law's Top 100: Manny B. is No. 23, Williams No. 34". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  9. ↑ "2012 Prospect Watch". Major League Baseball. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  10. ↑ Mearns, Andrew (August 3, 2012). "Yankees Top 10 Prospect Mason Williams Out for Season with Shoulder Surgery". Pinstripe Alley.
  11. ↑ "Yankees add four players to major league roster, sell rights of INF Wheeler to Rakuten Golden Eagles". YES Network. November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Yankees' prospect Mason Williams excited about first-ever promotion to Triple-A". NJ.com. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Mason Williams gets Yankees call-up after years of bust fears". New York Post. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  14. ↑ Kuty, Brendan (June 12, 2015). "WATCH: Yankees' Mason Williams homers for 1st career hit". NJ.com. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Yankees send Mason Williams to DL, make more moves". NJ.com. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Yankees' Mason Williams transferred to 60-day disabled list". NJ.com. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  17. ↑ Mike Axisa. "Yankees place Dustin Ackley on 15-day DL; Mason Williams to have shoulder surgery". River Avenue Blues. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  18. ↑ http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/159302852/greatest-players-for-each-uniform-number-mlb
  19. ↑ "Sweeny Murti: Mason Williams, New York Yankees’ Top Prospect « CBS New York". cbslocal.com. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  20. ↑ McCarron, Anthony (February 25, 2012). "Mason Williams: Meet the man who just may be the next great Yankee: Plenty of spring buzz about Bombers' prospect". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 15, 2015.

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