Nonie Williams
| AB | 899 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .202 |
| OBP | .29 |
| SLG | .291 |
| HR | 9 |
- Full name Nolan Williams
- Born 05/22/1998 in Kansas City, KS
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Turner
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Drafted in the 3rd round (96th overall) by the Los Angeles Angels in 2016 (signed for $950,000).
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Williams is one of the best athletes in the 2016 draft class, although his baseball skills still have a long way to go to catch up to his impressive tools. Williams was slated to be part of the 2017 draft class but he's reclassified to become draft eligible in 2016--he signed with Louisiana State. Williams is a plus runner with the live body and quick-twitch athleticism that teams look for in a shortstop. His actions and footwork have not caught up to that athleticism yet and his arm is only average, so he does have plenty of work to do to remain at shortstop. If he doesn't remain at short, his tools would fit nicely in center field. Williams is a switch-hitter with excellent bat speed and above-average power potential, but his swing mechanics and pitch recognition are still raw. Williams' loud tools are enticing but a team picking him knows he might need some extra time in rookie or short-season ball to add refinement.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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It took an over-slot $950,000 to sign Williams away from Louisiana State in 2016. Williams was home-schooled but allowed to play at Turner High in the Kansas City area because he took one class there. Williams started switch-hitting late in his high school career, but the Angels transitioned him back to hitting only from the right side this past summer, giving Williams the chance to see righthanded breaking balls as a righthanded hitter for the first time as a professional. He has explosive raw tools, with above-average bat speed and decent power potential, but he has a career .231/.284/.280 slash line and hit only one homer in 81 rookie league games. Williams has a plus arm, but his footwork and actions in the middle infield require polish. He's considered an average runner. Slowed by a sore arm last spring, he has gotten stronger since the draft, and the Angels plan to keep him at shortstop for now. Some scouts already project Williams' size and lack of middle-infield instincts will necessitate a move to third base or a corner outfield spot, which puts additional pressure on him to show he can turn his raw tools into on-field skills and increase his offensive output. -
Williams, whose given name is Nolan, was home-schooled in his native Kansas City but took one class at Turner High, and thus was allowed to play baseball for them. He hit .533 as a senior and was committed to Louisiana State before the Angels drafted him in the third round, No. 96 overall, and signed him for $950,000. Considered one of the better athletes in the 2016 class after being reclassified from the 2017 draft, Williams started slowly in his first pro season in the Rookie-level Arizona League. He finished strong when he started barreling up more balls, ending with a 9-for-24 stretch. Williams possesses a lot of raw tools, but scouts consider the switch-hitting infielder a long way off from turning them into baseball skills. He is a disciplined, gap-to-gap hitter currently more comfortable from the right side of the plate, which is not surprising because he's been switch-hitting for less than two years. An average runner, he is sneaky fast and handles himself well on the bases. Early reviews on Williams said he is not likely to stay at shortstop long-term, with the athleticism for the position but not the actions. His strong arm should allow him to move to either third base or an outfield corner. Williams is raw enough that he'll need another year of short-season ball. He will start 2017 in extended spring training with a likely assignment to Rookie-level Orem.
Draft Prospects
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Williams is one of the best athletes in the 2016 draft class, although his baseball skills still have a long way to go to catch up to his impressive tools. Williams was slated to be part of the 2017 draft class but he's reclassified to become draft eligible in 2016--he signed with Louisiana State. Williams is a plus runner with the live body and quick-twitch athleticism that teams look for in a shortstop. His actions and footwork have not caught up to that athleticism yet and his arm is only average, so he does have plenty of work to do to remain at shortstop. If he doesn't remain at short, his tools would fit nicely in center field. Williams is a switch-hitter with excellent bat speed and above-average power potential, but his swing mechanics and pitch recognition are still raw. Williams' loud tools are enticing but a team picking him knows he might need some extra time in rookie or short-season ball to add refinement.
