Gavin Williams
RHP 6-6 240 East Carolina
2020 stat line - 2-appearances, 0-0, 0.00, 3-IP, 5-K
The Fayetteville, N.C., native and Cape Fear product is known for his flamethrowing fastball that has hit 100 mph in the past (most recently against Campbell in the 2019 Greenville Regional championship). But he didn't get to have the junior season he was hoping for, making just two relief appearances after suffering a preseason injury before the season was shut down in early March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a somewhat surprising development, East Carolina right-handed pitcher Gavin Williams went undrafted in the shortened five-round 2020 Major League Baseball Draft this week.
Williams was a top 85 prospect according to Baseball America and MLB.com, but he was not selected. He was once considered a near-lock to be drafted, but sources close to Williams' situation said the projectable right-hander recently started to have real second thoughts about coming back in the last week. Projected as a third-round pick, Williams' return combined with a healthy and consistent 2021 season could improve his stock into first-round territory, making it worth the chance to return for his redshirt junior campaign.
BA -
Freshman righthander Gavin Williams was a highly touted pitching prospect in the 2017 class and was ranked No. 120 on the BA 500 thanks to a big, projectable frame and easy velocity that scouts projected would get into the triple digits in the future.
The future is now, apparently, as Saturday night Williams touched 100 mph on Baseball America’s radar gun, with many surrounding guns showing 99 on the same pitch. Williams has a lightning-quick arm and sat in the 92-95 mph range for three innings, reaching back for more whenever he needed it, including a 98 mph fastball in his final inning.
Williams has appeared in 38 games over his ECU career with five starts. He was primarily used as a reliever, going 1-4 overall with a 3.57 ERA and one save. The junior was slated to be the Pirates' frontline ace as a junior, but he instead broke his finger in the preseason and only made two appearances out of the bullpen before COVID-19 ended the college baseball campaign prematurely.
100 good reasons to draft him.
ReplyDeleteTom... has a need... for speed.
ReplyDeleteThis is closer material at it's best.