Jett Williams, Photo by Ed Delany of Mets Minors
No. 5, Jett Williams, SS
B/T: R/R Age: November 3, 2003 (19)
Ht: 5’8″ Wt: 175 lb.
ETA: 2026 Previous Rank: N/A
Acquired: Drafted in the first round (14th overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft
2022 Stats (FCL regular season): 10 games, 41 PAs, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 4 BB, 6 K, .250/.366/.438/.803
The Mets’ 2022 draft haul was viewed across the board as a success by draft evaluators. So far, three picks have appeared on Metsmerized’s Top 30 prospects ahead of the 2023 season: Blade Tidwell (No. 7) and Nick Morabito (No. 24), Jacob Riemer (No. 25). In Jett Williams, there’s a fourth, and (not to spoil) there will be a fifth with Kevin Parada.
Williams was selected 14th overall with the team’s actual first-round pick. (Parada was picked with the compensatory pick they got from not signing Kumar Rocker the previous year.) Ahead of the draft, Williams was generally viewed as one of the top 10 high school bats available, noting his quick hands at the plate and speed as plus assets heading into the draft.
Jett Williams, the Mets selection at 14. pic.twitter.com/9Jk5tc3bRx
— Jack Ramsey (@jackwramsey) July 18, 2022
At just 5-foot-8, he’s viewed as someone who could hit for an average level of power for someone his size. On top of that, Keith Law noted that Williams “almost never swung and missed last summer on the showcase circuit and didn’t show any trouble with velocity when he faced it.” A great eye plus a good swing and hard contact are great starting points for a prep player starting his career.
Baseball Prospectus (No. 75) and Baseball America (No. 98) both ranked Williams in their preseason lists this year. BP noted “if Williams was 6’2″, he’d have been one of the tops few picks in the 2022 draft,” mentioning his “surprising pop” and the fact he “projects as well as a natural hitter as you can without significant pro data.” Though Williams has played shortstop through high school and the start of his pro career, most analysts view he’ll profile more as a perfectly fine second baseman due to a lack of arm strength.
Williams’ speed was on full display in his short appearance in the Florida Complex League at the end of 2022. He swiped six bags in just 10 games in the regular season, then he capped the year off with a 3-for-3 performance with three walks and another stolen base in the team’s lone playoff game. He ended the season with 11 hits and seven walks in 46 plate appearances (.370 OBP) and six strikeouts.
Mets first round pick Jett Williams in the FCL playoff game on Thursday:
3-for-3, 2 BB, SB (7-for-7)
Video by @reillocity
— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) August 26, 2022
The 19-year-old will likely spend most of 2023 at Low-A St. Lucie. (He might start the year in Rookie ball, but I’d bet he plays his way out of it quickly if he does.) He’s not projected to reach the big leagues until around 2026, so he’ll have multiple years of development ahead of him. The hope is his power grows as he does. But it’s hard to not get excited about all of Williams’ existing tools and what they can mature into.
Other prospect rankings:
30-26
25-21
20-16
15-12
11. Matt Allan
10. Calvin Ziegler
9. Mike Vasil
8. Mark Vientos
7. Blade Tidwell
6. Ronny Mauricio
