First-Round MLB Pick Carson Williams Won't Be Coming to Cal

The 18-year-old shortstop had committed to Cal, but will sign with the Tampa Bay Rays

Shortstop Carson Williams, who had signed a letter of intent to come Cal this fall before being taken in the first round of Sunday's Major League Baseball draft, plans to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays and won't be coming to Cal, according to his high school coach.

Torrey Pines High School baseball coach Tommy Simis said in an email that Williams will "definitely" sign a pro baseball contract and won't be coming to Cal.

That comes as no surprise.  In fact, it would have been a major surprise if Williams had decided not to sign and had opted to attend Cal instead.

Every first-round pick in the past two years has signed a pro contract, and over the past five MLB drafts only three players selected among the first 30 picks failed to sign with the team that drafted him.

The money is just too good to pass up, and players have a good idea how much money they will make based on the MLB's slotting system.  As the 28th pick in the first round, Williams is slotted to get a signing bonus of about $2.5 million.

Had he opted to come to Cal, he would have had to wait three years to enter the MLB draft again.

Although it was a minor surprise that Williams was taken in the first round, his reaction to being selected by the Rays indicated he planned to sign.

“I was ecstatic," he said according to the Rays website. "Just couldn't be more happy with their decision to take me. I love the organization, love the way they run things and love all the guys in the system. I mean, I couldn't be more happy.”

Williams, who turned 18 on June 25, moved up the ladder of prospective draft picks as the draft approached because of a strong finish to his senior season at Torrey Pines, which is located in San Diego. 

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Williams hit .495 with 11 homers, 34 steals and a .979 slugging percentage during his senior season. 

Some pro scouts saw Williams as a pitcher at the major-league level, and he had his fastball timed up to 97 mph.  But Williams prefers being a position player as a pro, and the Rays drafted him as a shortstop.

Current Cal players who were taken in the the MLB draft include pitcher Grant Holman (sixth round, A's), pitcher Sean Sullivan (eighth round, Pirates), pitcher Ian Villers (eighth round, Giants) and second baseman Darren Baker (10th round, Nationals).

Cal senior infielder Quentin Selma was not drafted but signed a free-agent deal with the Angels.

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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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