Tampa Bay Rays top prospect Carson Williams will enter the season as the team’s starting shortstop, it was announced Tuesday.
The 22-year-old Williams, who is ESPN’s No. 39 overall prospect, has a solid spring, hitting .281 with a home run and a stolen base in 32 at-bats. He’s an above-average runner and defender at shortstop with a plus arm and plus raw power.
He became the favorite to win the Rays’ starting shortstop job after Taylor Walls suffered a right oblique injury last week and will be placed on the injured list.
Williams, the 28th overall pick in the 2021 draft, hit .172 with a .219 on-base percentage, five homers, 12 RBIs and two steals in 32 games with Tampa Bay last season. He batted .213 with a .318 on-base percentage, 23 homers, 55 RBIs and 22 steals in 111 games for Triple-A Durham.
The Rays open the season on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
