Tampa Bay Rays' Carson Williams Voted MLB’s Top Defensive Prospect in Executive Poll

Carson Williams is one of the most highly-regarded prospects in all of baseball, and he is expected to take over as the Tampa Bay Rays’ shortstop of the future.

Mar 6, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays infielder Carson Williams (80) looks on before the game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays’ next shortstop of the future, Carson Williams, is surrounded by considerable hype heading into 2025.

MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo recently conducted a poll across the league, gathering executives and scouts' thoughts on the game’s most intriguing young players. He asked them a handful of questions, including who they thought the top overall prospect in the game was.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony was the most common No. 1 answer, followed by Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews. Williams was part of a four-way tie for fourth, picking up 4.1% of the vote.

Mayo asked more pointed questions as well, seeking baseball’s top hitting and pitching prospects. Williams, meanwhile, earned 45.8% of the vote for Best Defensive Prospect. Nobody else garnered more than 10.4%.

From Double-A to the Arizona Fall League to the Premier12 Tournament, Williams has flashed leather wherever he’s played. MLB Pipeline has his arm graded as a 70 and his fielding graded as a 65 – both high marks for the 21-year-old.

Williams is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Rays' farm system. He has also been pegged as the top shortstop and No. 4 overall prospect in all of baseball, per MLB.com.

Since being selected in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Williams has hit .256 with an .831 OPS in the minors. He has averaged 21 home runs, 21 doubles, eight triples, 73 RBI and 27 stolen bases per season, demonstrating his signature power-speed combo at every level.

Wlliams was named the Rays’ top candidate to win AL Rookie of the Year back in November, even though he has played just four games in Triple-A. There is a clear path to a starting job at short, after all, with Wander Franco embroiled in legal troubles and likely never returning to MLB.

If Williams can reach the big leagues, perhaps his stellar glove can help him unseat the shortstop platoon of José Caballero and Taylor Walls as soon as this season.

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