One of last year’s brightest moments for the Phillies was rookie Luke Williams’ walk-off home run on 9 June against the Braves. The Phillies dealt Williams to the Giants this past offseason, but now he’s returning to the National League East after being acquired today by the Miami Marlins.
The Phillies drafted Williams in the third round of the 2015 Draft out of Dana Hills High School in California.He methodically worked his way up the minor league ladder, progressing one level each year. He even starred for the United States National Team in the 2020 Olympic Qualifiers, batting .444 with six RBI. He also added a stint with the Adelaide Giants of the Australian Baseball League in 2020 alongside other Phils prospects Logan O’Hoppe and Rixon Wingrove.
Luke Williams made his big league debut on 8 June 2021, and crushed the now-famous home run the next day in his first career start. He received sporadic playing time last season, appearing in 58 games and slashing .245/.315/.316 across 108 plate appearances. After bringing in Johan Camargo to fill the utility infield role this past offseason, the Phillies dealt Williams to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for minor league third baseman Will Toffey.
The Giants barely gave Williams a shot this year, as he only garnered 12 plate appearances in eight games in the big leagues. He didn’t do much with his opportunity, only collecting three hits. He was designated for assignment last week, and the Marlins acquired him in exchange for infield prospect Hayden Cantrelle. Williams will likely serve as infield depth in Miami, as he has all three option years remaining. The Marlins will likely shuffle him back and forth from Triple-A to the big leagues whenever there’s a need. While he’s severely lacking in power, Williams is a nice option to have as he offers solid wheels and a slick glove all over the diamond to go along with a decent contact-oriented approach.