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Mason Williams’ Play Highlights Minor League Depth for Yankees

By Alexander Evans

Jun 16, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Mason Williams (41) hits a one-run double against the Oakland Athletics in the fifth inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Mason Williams (41) hits a one-run double against the Oakland Athletics in the fifth inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mason Williams is having a strong year in the minors for the New York Yankees. His talent shows the Yankees true depth in their system.

When news broke that Mason Williams was on his way to Oakland, California from Scranton, Pennsylvania for Friday night’s game, nothing much was thought of it.

His arrival was, and is, seen as temporary in light of Aaron Hicks’ leg injury on Thursday.  After a

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few games in the starting lineup, Williams has proven that the Yankee farm system is just as deep as everyone says it is.

In three games so far up with in the Major Leagues, Williams has two hits, including an RBI on Friday, and scored two runs.

He has a .222 average, OBP and slugging percentage, with a .444 OPS since filling in for the injured Hicks.

Williams has been called up before, and has done a nice job filling in for injured players for brief stints in both 2015 and 2016.

He went 6-for-21 with three RBI and a .286 average in eight games in 2015, while going 8-for-27 for a .296 average in the final 12 games of the 2016 season.

The scary thing is, Williams isn’t even one of the top outfielders in the Yankee farm system, let alone one of the top players.

His brief, yet limited, success in Oakland begs the question of what the more highly-touted

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Yankee prospects will do once they’re at the major league level.

According to mlbpipeline.com, Williams isn’t even a top 30 prospect to watch for the Yankees, while fellow outfielders Clint Frazier (2nd), Dustin Fowler (8th), and Blake Rutherford (3rd) rank in the top ten.

Frazier and Fowler are in Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, while Rutherford, who the Yankees drafted in the first round of last year’s draft, plays for the Class A Charleston River Dogs.

It proves that the Yankees have such a deep talent pool in their minor league system, where a player in Williams who isn’t even a top 30 prospect can hit and get on base in a major league game.

If he can do it, what will the better players be able to do once their opportunity arises?

In short, the Yankees called up a player who, despite his experience, isn’t even a top prospect to watch, yet he’s still giving hitting the ball, driving in runs, and proving to be a serviceable short-term replacement for Aaron Hicks.

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His success, albeit brief, shows that the Yankees are loaded at all levels and have better players than Williams who are waiting in the wings.

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