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Jun 04, 2012 - Jun 06, 2012     
TBD - ,
Billy (Nick) Williams
OF 6-3 195   L/L
FB
60
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
CB
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle
3/5/12: Nick Williams has been compared frequently to such legendary sluggers as Ken Griffey Jr. and Darryl Strawberry, but those are more out of a lack of a good comparable player than anything. There is a surprising shortage of players in the Major Leagues who are lean and athletic 6-foot-3 African-American left handed hitting/left handed throwing corner outfielders. That’s not to say that Williams won’t play in the Major Leagues, as he certainly has the physical tools in virtually every area to reach that level. It’s just a strangely underpopulated demographic. I admittedly jumped on the Strawberry comp the first time I saw Williams at the 2010 Area Code Games. One of the defining characteristics about Strawberry’s swing, aside from the fact he could hit the ball as far as anyone has in the game during the last 30-40 years, was that he was very willing to let the ball get deep in the zone, keep barrel of the bat behind his hands and drive the ball high and deep to left centerfield. Williams showed that ability at a young age, although he has become more pull conscious in the year and a half since then. Aside from that, Strawberry’s almost unique combination of sheer size and athletic ability puts him in an area that discourages comparisons. There just aren’t many 6-foot-6 human beings capable of hitting big league level pitching and to compare a 6-foot-3 athlete to a 6-foot-6 one loses context. The comparison to Griffey, along with potential comparison to Curtis Granderson, suffers because while Williams is physically gifted defensively, he does not project to play centerfield at the Major League level. He has run as low as 6.47 in the 60, but has the body type that will probably slow down a few steps as he starts to fill out more. Williams also has not shown the defensive instincts with jumps and routes that would normally be associated with centerfield. Williams does have a long and loose arm with solid Major League average arm strength that should enable him to play right field. Where scouts can dream with Williams is with his left handed bat and power potential. If you were to look into the future and ask scouts, “There will be one high school player from the Class of 2012 who hits 40 home runs in one season, who is it?,” Williams would be on the very short list of candidates who could potentially accomplish that. His swing combines the bat speed along with the looseness, strength and extension through contact to lift the ball out of the park to any field. Like many power oriented players, Williams is a streaky hitter who depends on timing and rhythm, and when he finds a zone everything is going to be flying off the barrel hard. He once hit four home runs in a game at the WWBA 16U National Championships, and has gone through streaks at national level events where he will go two or three days squaring it up every swing. At home run hitting contests Williams is known to hit multiple balls out in a row when he gets zeroed in. He will also go for multiple days against good pitching without a hit when his timing gets off and he’s consistently late on pitches while wearing out the foul territory behind third base. Two things are notable in a positive way about Williams streakiness as a hitter, though: He has always shown the willingness to take pitches and work deep into counts, which will definitely help him during the inevitable slumps. He has also completely dominated high school pitching, as a hitter with his tools should, and hit .537-13-30 as a junior. The depth of outfielders in the 2012 high school class who have potential first round tools and athleticism (Albert Almora, Lewis Brinson, Byron Buxton, David Dahl, Courtney Hawkins, Jesse Winker, Jameis Winston, and others) means that some will inevitably slide. Williams could be in that position, but for the right teams he might also have the highest ceiling of any his peers. Even if finding the right comparison for him is difficult.




Oct 20, 2011 - Oct 24, 2011   Houston Banditos  1
Roger Dean Complex - Jupiter, FL
Billy (Nick) Williams
OF 6-3 195   L/L
FB
60
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
CB
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle




Oct 01, 2011 - Oct 03, 2011   Houston Banditos Black  1
Concordia University - Austin, TX
Billy (Nick) Williams
OF 6-3 195   L/L
FB
60
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
CB
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle




Aug 14, 2011 - Aug 14, 2011   West  
PETCO Park - San Diego, CA
Billy (Nick) Williams
OF 6-3 195   L/L
FB
60
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
CB
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle




Aug 05, 2011 - Aug 10, 2011     
Blair Field - Long Beach, CA
Billy (Nick) Williams
OF 6-3 195   L/L
FB
60
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
CB
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle




Jul 09, 2011 - Jul 15, 2011   Houston Banditos 17U Black  1
East Cobb Complex - Marietta, GA
Billy (Nick) Williams
OF 6-3 195   L/L
FB
60
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
CB
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle




Jun 16, 2011 - Jun 19, 2011   7-Purple  25
City of Palms Park - Ft. Myers, FL
Billy (Nick) Williams
OF 6-3 195   L/L
FB
60
6.47
40
OF
90
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
CB
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle
Related Scout Blogs 
Billy (Nick) Williams is a 2012 OF with a 6-3 195 lb. frame from La Marque, TX who attends Galveston Ball HS. Outstanding physical build, long and projectable with good present strength. Very good raw bat speed, balanced set up, very good leverage at contact, sees the ball well, patient game approach but aggressive once his swing starts, ball jumps hard, tends to over-rotate his shoulders at times creating length. 6.47 runner, easy strides, deceptively fast on the bases and in the field, charges hard in the outfield, good footwork, on line accurate throws, long arm action. High ceiling athlete, could be very special if the bat keeps developing. Named to the Perfect Game All American Classic team.
PG Grade 10.0




Baseball Web TV Video | See this player's personally updated Skillshow ACT profile & videos ACT Profile
Billy (Nick) Williams 60 2011 National Showcase
Billy (Nick) Williams OF 2011 National Showcase
Billy (Nick) Williams Hitting 2011 National Showcase
Oct 21, 2010 - Oct 25, 2010   Houston Banditos  1
Roger Dean Complex - Jupiter, FL
Billy (Nick) Williams
OF 6-3 195   L/L
FB
60
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
CB
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle




Aug 05, 2010 - Aug 10, 2010     
Blair Field - Long Beach, CA
Billy (Nick) Williams
OF 6-3 195   L/L
FB
60
6.77
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
CB
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle




Jul 13, 2010 - Jul 19, 2010   Houston Banditos Black  1
East Cobb Complex - Marietta, GA
Billy (Nick) Williams
OF 6-3 195   L/L
FB
89
60
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
87-89
CB
68
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle




Jul 06, 2010 - Jul 12, 2010   Houston Banditos 17U Black  1
East Cobb Complex - Marietta, GA
Billy (Nick) Williams
OF 6-3 195   L/L
FB
60
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
CB
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle