Tampa Bay Rays bring up next piece of future in Justin Williams

The Tampa Bay Rays have added another piece of their future as they called up outfielder Justin Williams on Saturday.

Despite the Tampa Bay Rays hovering around the .500 mark, they are more likely to be sellers come the trade deadline. They already sent Alex Colome and Denard Span to Seattle, and plenty of rumors are swirling around nominal staff ace Chris Archer. The Rays are still keeping an eye towards their future instead of focusing on today.

They have brought another part of that future up to the majors yesterday. Rightfielder Justin Williams has been called up to the majors, where he will be making his debut.

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The 22 year old Williams has performed well in Durham this season. In his 357 plate appearances, Williams has produced a respectable .267/.323/.392 batting line, hitting 17 doubles and eight homers. He has a bit of pop, having hit 14 home runs and 21 doubles in 409 plate appearances in 2017 for the Montgomery Biscuits.

Acquired from the Diamondbacks in 2014 as part of the Jeremy Hellickson trade, Williams production does not quite match his tools. He has a great deal of strength and bat speed, but his swing is more tailored towards line drives than home runs. Williams hits the ball hard, but not with much lift. He has also displayed a tendency to be aggressive in the count, making a good deal of contact, but not drawing many walks.

The talent is obvious with Williams. His strength and raw tools give him the potential to be a dangerous hitter as he continues to develop. However, it is likely that he will need to make a few adjustments, particularly with his swing, to unlock the potential that exists. Until that happens, Williams is not likely to hit for the power that one would expect with his strength and the way the ball exits his bat.

Next: Rays should look to extend Ramos

The future is continuing to arrive with the Tampa Bay Rays, as Justin Williams is coming up. It may take some time, but he has the potential to be a dangerous middle of the order hitter with the proper adjustments.