Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | SEA | LHP | 7 | 50 |
Grades Update: Nov 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 55 | 55 | 50 | 40 | 50/45 |
Nov 2020 Report
Evaluator: Isaiah Burrows
Age: 23 yr
Height: 6-6
Weight: 210 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/L
Acquired: 2019 Draft - Round 2
RuleV: 2023
Physical Description: Long, lanky and slender build. Solid upper half, a bit thinner lower half. Tall frame, but has a slight muscular build with broad shoulders and strong legs. Overall compact frame due to his size and length, chance to add more girth to his lower half.
Delivery & Mechanics: Quick and fluid arm action that goes off without a hitch. Controlled follow through after each pitch. Don't see much effort in his delivery, pretty smooth throughout each pitch. Comfortable keeping the same motion, gets the pitch off in the stretch. Tight and compact. Great extension with each pitch due to his length, let's him tick in velocity. Short, compact delivery that he repeats well. Windup looks a bit slow from a distance, but the ball explodes to the plate. Seems very comfortable from the stretch, delivery shortens up and is quick to get there. Very little effort to reach his peak velocity, as well as optimum break for off-speed pitches. Compact and repeated delivery.
Fastball: Mid-to-high 90s offering that forces a ton of whiffs. Long, wiry frame allows him to get good velocity with late rising action toward the top of the zone. Very effective pitch, electric coming out of his hands. Quick to the plate, and it zips by opposing batters. Gets ahead of the count with the fastball, and utilizes it as a strikeout pitch at times. Grade: 55
Curveball: Mid-70s offering that looks to be his best off-speed pitch. Plenty of depth and break that pairs well with his velocity-packed fastball. Good drop and break out of the zone to force swings and misses. Looks comfortable throwing it from the windup or the stretch, and the result stays the same. Solid off-speed pitch that finishes off hitters with late bite. Grade: 55
Slider: Another off-speed pitch with solid break, though not as refined as his curveball. Low-to-mid-80s in velocity, good dive at the end to force whiffs. Not thrown as much, still needs improvement as a consistent third pitch. Can be left hanging over the zone or thrown in the dirt at times. Still has the makings of another hard off-speed pitching with more time. Grade: 50
Changeup: Work in progress as he develops on the farm. Dip in velocity to the fastball, but a bit flat. Not much spin or deception to it, just a bit of a "hanger" at the moment. Rarely thrown, but more confidence and effort has been made to improve it. Can develop into a solid fourth pitch, but for now it's a bit lacking. Grade: 40
Control and Command: Struggles at times to find his spot consistently. Fastball flies over the head of the catcher, curveball/slider bounce in the dirt occasionally. Has improved in picking his spots to attack hitters in the zone. Signs of improvement, but more needs to happen. Control: 50 | Command: 45
Overall: Williamson's stuff is eye-popping at times. His fastball has late movement and the type of zip you want to see from a lanky left-hander. His curveball is a great complimentary off-speed pitch to counter the heat with great drop and break out of the zone. His slider and changeup need improvement, but he has the makings of a solid MLB starter if his intriguing arsenal comes together.
OFP: 50
Role: 50 - #4 or #5 Backend SP
Risk: High
