TOP 5 YANKEE PROSPECTS OF 2012: #2

#2. Mason Williams


CF (.349/.395/.468, 3 homers, 28 SB, 31 RBI, 68 games played at
Low-A Staten Island)

I have no doubt this will be a somewhat controversial pick. However, as stated previously, Mason's speed and ability to drive the ball to all fields make him, at least in my mind, a more certain thing than Dellin Betances in spite of being 5 years younger. Being a more certain thing doesn't mean his ceiling is any lower though, there is still tons of raw talent to develop. To think a kid can hit .349 while still being most attractive as undeveloped talent is a scary thought. When drafted, he was not expected to hit for much power anywhere along the way. While I'm not suggesting he'll be a 30 home run player, his 6 triples and 11 doubles show that the power is present. With a shrimpy 6', 150 pound frame, Williams could very well add enough bulk to turn those extra base hits into homers. Being a lefty batter, this is especially true if he sticks around with the Yankees and is able to take advantage of the infamous short porch.
We are talking about a true five-tool player here. He stole bases at a 70% success rate (28/40), which is especially impressive when you take into account his slow start in which he was caught 5 out of 9 times. As his instincts developed, he became nearly impossible to catch. That speed obviously plays up out in center-field and he has a solid arm to go with it. The contact hitting is obviously there with a .349 average. The only thing that's absent right now is the aforementioned power, and there is certainly room and time for that to come.

In order to be an ideal lead-off man, Williams will have to improve his plate discipline. In 298 plate appearances, he took only 20 walks, which comes out to a 4.6% walk rate. There are certainly players at the major-league level who do no better than that, but seldom do you see a superstar walking that little. Luckily, Williams seems to have the baseball IQ to develop a better approach at the plate and unlock his full potential. If he fails to live up to my lofty expectations, he still makes great contact, plays good defense, and runs like the hounds are after him. I see a great future for Mason.

Big league comparison: Jacoby Ellsbury (go big or go home... hopefully he suddenly discovers power too.)

If you haven't seen #5 Jose Campos, #4 Gary Sanchez and #3 Dellin Betances Prospect pieces yet, you must, click on their names to check them out. #2 is next...who will it be?



--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer



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