Philadelphia Phillies taking chance on Justin Williams

Justin Williams has long tantalized with his potential. The former second round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, Williams was seen as the key piece in trades involving Jeremy Hellickson and Tommy Pham. However, he has not been able to get much of a chance at the major league level, with just seven plate appearances prior to last year.

That may be about to change. Williams has signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, which includes an invite to the major league portion of spring training.

Philadelphia Phillies giving Justin Williams a look

Williams has been solid during his time at Triple-A. He has posted a .272/.330/.442 batting line in his 669 plate appearances over parts of three seasons, hitting 24 homers and 30 doubles. He does not have much left to prove in the minors.

That success has not followed Williams to the majors. He finally got an extended look last season but struggled, putting together a .160/.270/.261 batting line with four homers in his 137 plate appearances. Although he struck out 46 times, he also drew 17 walks and made hard contact at those times he actually hit the ball, as he posted an 11% barrel rate and a 52.1% hard hit rate, both numbers far above the major league average.

The Phillies are banking on Williams’ minor league track record and ability to hit the ball hard. Based on his batted ball profile, he had an expected batting line of .241/.316/.406, numbers that would have been respectable enough.

Williams may well get his chance in Philadelphia as well. While Bryce Harper is entrenched in right, he is the only Phillies’ outfielder assured of a job. If Williams performs well enough in spring training, he could not just earn a spot on the roster, but could get regular plate appearances in left or by rotating through the DH spot.

The Philadelphia Phillies are taking a chance on Justin Williams. Considering how hard he hit the ball when making contact, they could have a bargain.