Paul Toboni’s first draft with the Washington Nationals was supposed to help shore up pitching, but he took a different route with his first three selections, using them on position players. Chris Hacopian and Chase Brunson may be the safer bets right now, but the pick with the loudest ceiling might be third-rounder Luke Williams.
Williams is the kind of prospect who makes scouts lean in. A high school shortstop from Pennsylvania, he fits the classic over-slot mold: big-time athletic gifts, plenty of projection, and enough rough edges that the development path could take time.
The upside is obvious, though. He brings elite speed and an elite arm to the table, which gives him a wide range of possible outcomes if everything comes together.
Even though he played shortstop in high school, plenty of evaluators believe center field is his future home, and that’s the same spot I’d project for him too. Williams is a freaky athlete with a reputation as a high-intensity player, and that kind of profile feels tailor-made for the outfield, where his motor and twitch can play up.
The risk comes with the bat. There are real questions about his hit tool and approach, and there’s also some uncertainty because he hasn’t faced much top-tier high school pitching.
That matters, especially since he missed the showcase circuit the summer before his senior year because of an ankle injury. Those events are a big part of the evaluation process, and without that look, there’s more mystery around how he handles elite competition.
At the same time, that uncertainty cuts both ways. If Williams had shown up and crushed that summer circuit, there’s a chance he would have gone much higher.
What isn’t in doubt is how dynamic he is. At 6-foot-0 and 180 pounds, he still generates elite bat speed, which is unusual for a player his size.
The biggest swing speeds in MLB tend to belong to larger bodies like Junior Caminero and Jordan Walker, so Williams stands out in a different way.
That bat speed gives him real power upside, and he offered a glimpse of it after the draft. He didn’t play official games, but he did take part in exhibitions in West Palm Beach, where a couple of clips showed him leaving the yard.
The ceiling here is easy to picture: speed, arm strength, power, and enough athleticism to grow into a legitimate outfield profile. The floor is less forgiving.
Williams could struggle to hit early and take some time before he settles in. But there’s also a path where he comes out and forces his way into top 100 prospect conversations.
How quickly that picture becomes clear will be worth watching. Low-A pitching should tell us a lot about how much he whiffs and chases, two areas that could expose the rough spots in his game. If he handles that level better than expected, the upside starts to look enormous.
The Nationals are betting on an elite athlete and trusting their development staff to turn him into an elite baseball player. They’ve tried that formula before without much success, but this is a new regime, and Toboni did balance the class by taking two more polished college bats before swinging for Williams’ upside.
There’s no guarantee it works, but the third round was the right place to take the shot. Williams has the kind of tools that light up every athletic test, along with a real passion for the game. He may take a while, but the payoff could be well worth the wait.
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Nationals officials have been encouraged by the way Alvarez has handled the jump in competition, and theyre watching closely to see whether more growth, especially in fastball velocity, can turn him from a depth option into a legitimate rotation candidate. Alvarez has made it clear he plans to keep working and competing for whatever opening comes his way, which leaves the next phase of his rise tied to how far his stuff can keep climbing over the offseason. [Read more 🡒]