Carson Williams Tabbed Top Shortstop Prospect by MLB.com

Top Rays prospect Carson Williams played in four games with the Bulls during the 2023 season. (Kelly Teseny)

January 21, 2025

MLB Pipeline on Tuesday unveiled their list of Top Ten Shortstop Prospects for the upcoming 2025 season, listing Tampa Bay Rays infielder Carson Williams at the top slot. The 21-year-old played in four games with the Bulls during the 2023 campaign, and could very well be back in Durham as

MLB Pipeline on Tuesday unveiled their list of Top Ten Shortstop Prospects for the upcoming 2025 season, listing Tampa Bay Rays infielder Carson Williams at the top slot. The 21-year-old played in four games with the Bulls during the 2023 campaign, and could very well be back in Durham as soon as the beginning of this year.

There are so many lofty ceilings on this list, but it's hard to pick against Williams, who could provide 30+ homers per season while winning Gold Gloves. He excelled as the second-youngest regular (age 21) in the Southern League last year, leading the Double-A circuit in runs (83), RBIs (69) and triples (six) while ranking second in slugging (.469), extra-base hits (46) and total bases (203), third in homers (20) and OPS (.821) and fourth in wRC+ (142).

Jim Callis, MLB Pipeline

Williams spent the entire 2024 season with Double-A Montgomery, batting .256 (111-433) with 83 runs, 20 doubles, six triples, 20 homers and 69 RBI, along with 33 steals in 44 attempts, over 115 contests with the Biscuits. Among all Rays farmhands he ranked third in runs scored, RBI, and total bases (203), as well as tied for third in home runs, tied for fourth in extra-base hits (46), and tied for fifth in walks (58).

Selected by Tampa Bay as the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California, Williams was rated as the 20th overall prospect by MLB.com prior to the 2024 season. He played in four contests with the Bulls in 2023, collecting one double in 13 at-bats while scoring three runs between August 15-20. Over 354 career minor league games, Williams owns a .256 average (348-1359), adding 248 runs, 67 doubles, 24 triples, 62 homers and 228 RBI.

MLB.com will reveal their 2025 Top 100 Prospects list at 7:00pm ET on Friday, January 24, with a one-hour show on MLB Network and MLB.com. Click here to view the entire Top 10 Shortstop Prospects list.