Name: Gavin Williams
School: East Carolina University
Position: RHP
Height/Weight: 6’6″, 238-lbs
B/T: L/R
D.O.B.: 07/26/1999
Previously Drafted: 30th round of the 2017 MLB Draft (Tampa Bay Rays)
Scouting Report
Prior to attending East Carolina University, Gavin Williams put together a stellar prep career at Cape Fear High School. During his four year career at Cape Fear, Williams posted a combined 1.06 ERA while piling up 212 strikeouts and 74 walks. Opposing hitters post a .138 batting average against Williams. As a senior, he missed the first half of the season. However, he made his presence felt in his return to the mound by throwing three consecutive no-hitters in his first three games that year.
At East Carolina, it took time for Williams to settle in and become a fulltime starting pitcher. As a freshman, he appeared in 15 games all in relief, where he posted a 1.15 ERA with 7 walks and 9 strikeouts in 15.2 IP. As a sophomore in 2019, he was able to get his feet wet as a starting pitcher finally. That year, Williams made 21 appearances (five starts) where he posted a 4.56 ERA with 23 walks and 56 strikeouts in 49.1 IP.
Scouts believed that 2020 would be the breakout year for Gavin Williams. Unfortunately, he broke a finger which caused him to miss time and then the season was cancelled due to COVID, causing him to pitch a total of three innings on the year. He didn’t have to wait much longer to breakout, as the 2021 season featured a lot of success for the 21-year-old right-hander.
This year, Williams made 12 starts and got 81.1 innings under his belt. Across that load, he owned a 1.88 ERA with 130 strikeouts and 21 walks. That’s good for a 14.4 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9. Williams finished his college career with a 12.1 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 across 149.1 IP.
Scouting Grades
These are Williams’ grades according to MLB Pipeline. His grades likely fluctuate across other publications.
Fastball: 70
Slider: 50
Curveball: 55
Changeup: 55
Control: 50
Overall: 50
Prospect Overview and Future Outlook
Gavin Williams’ best pitch is his fastball, which sits in the mid-to-upper-90s and has reached triple digits. He also owns a upper-70s curveball and mid-80s slider and changeup to round out his arsenal and give him good separation from his fastball. He’s become more consistent with his curveball as of late, and his slider is developing into a better pitch.
Throughout his college career, Williams worked on fixing his delivery to become more consistent and to throw more strikes. He showed a lot of that as a senior at ECU and scouts say he has the potential to become a middle of the rotation starting pitcher at the next level. Williams’ overall stuff is impressive and his stock is rising after this year. However, there are some health concerns and a lack of a track record that scouts say teams could be hesitant on taking Williams in the first round.
Mock Drafts
In Jonathan Mayo’s most recent mock draft, he has the Rays doubling down on Gavin Williams by taking him with the 28th pick. Jim Callis projected Gavin Williams to the Rays in his most recent attempt as well. MLB Pipeline ranks Williams as the 31st overall draft prospect. The staff over at Prospects Live have Williams landing in Toronto at 19 in their most recent mock draft. In the latest from Keith Law at The Athletic, Williams isn’t projected in the first round. Kiley McDaniel at ESPN doesn’t project the ECU righty in the first round either.
Potential Fit with White Sox
Even though Gavin Williams doesn’t have a ton of experience as a starting pitcher, the consistent velocity across multiple innings and improving secondary offerings make him an interesting option for the White Sox. He previously struggled with throwing strikes, but has been able to work on that and showed improvements in that area in 2021.
Gavin Williams would be a solid addition to the White Sox farm system and he is someone that should be available when the White Sox are on the clock. Taking him at 22 might be a bit of a stretch. However, if the organization believes in the stuff and the ability to develop him as a starter, then he would be worth the selection. He has a similar collegiate background as Garrett Crochet, but Williams’ path to the majors will be different if he’s the choice in July. Sources have indicated to FutureSox that Gavin Williams would be a realistic possibility if the decision makers with the White Sox elect to take a college pitcher in round one.
Featured photo credit: ECU Athletics.
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