Alex Williams has turned an Arizona Fall League stint into the kind of headline that sticks. The Miami Marlins prospect was named AFL Pitcher of the Week after a stretch that put him in rare company and gave his season a jolt of momentum.
The 27-year-old right-hander tied a career high with 10 strikeouts on November 4, working four one-hit, scoreless innings. That outing made him just the 10th pitcher in Arizona Fall League history to record double-digit strikeouts in a game, and it was the first time that had happened since 2005. Over the week, Williams allowed only one walk and one hit.
Williams’ path to this point has not been a smooth one. Born and raised in California, he spent four years at Stanford University before the Marlins selected him in the 11th round of the 2022 draft. At Stanford, he went 23-8 with a 2.88 ERA.
The minor league climb has been tougher. Williams has spent five seasons in the minors, where he owns a 15-24 record with a 5.07 ERA, along with 360 strikeouts and 344 hits allowed.
But his work in Arizona has stood out. In five AFL games, he went 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 18 strikeouts.
He also allowed seven home runs, but the strikeout total still made his week impossible to ignore.
The Marlins prospect is listed at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, and that frame gives Miami options down the line, whether he ends up in the bullpen or as a starter. Nothing is guaranteed, and the source material makes that clear - some minor leaguers never get the call at all.
Still, Williams’ latest recognition points to a pitcher who keeps pushing. Even if the road stretches into his early 30s, he appears determined to keep chasing the chance to reach the majors and make that family trip to LoanDepot Park a reality.
In Other News...
Marlins Rotation Search Could Come Down To One Risky Bet
The Marlins are again being linked to veteran starting pitching, a familiar lane for a front office that has spent recent winters looking for arms with some track record attached. It fits the way Miami has tried to patch together its rotation in free agency and on the trade market, and it also explains why a name like Kris Bubic keeps surfacing in the conversation. He brings the kind of recent performance that can make a team pause and take a closer look, especially for a club trying to stabilize the staff without overcommitting.
Bubics appeal is obvious enough on paper, but the bigger question is whether Miami would be willing to absorb the health risk that comes with him. The Marlins need innings, reliability and some upside, and those are not always easy traits to find in the same pitcher at this stage of the market. If they do push in this direction, it would say plenty about how aggressively they want to chase immediate help, even if the move ends up looking more like a short-term gamble than a clean long-term solution. [Read more 🡒]
Kelly Sacos Marlins Exit Adds Another Blow To A Familiar TV Crew
Kelly Sacos run with the Marlins is nearing its end after the longtime television host and reporter announced on social media that she will step away following the 2026 season. Saco has been part of the clubs broadcast presence since 2013, and her farewell message thanked players, fans and colleagues for more than a decade around the team.
Her departure lands in the middle of a familiar stretch of turnover for Marlins.TV, where the broadcast side has already seen significant change. For viewers who have grown used to the same faces over the years, Sacos exit adds another layer to a reshaped crew and leaves one more offseason storyline hanging over the teams media setup. [Read more 🡒]