Inside The Mets

Mets’ Jett Williams dodges bullet after hit by pitch scare

Mets No. 2 prospect Jett Williams seemed to be in serious discomfort after getting plunked in live batting practice.

John Sparaco

Feb 13, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets infielder Jett Williams (90) participates in Spring Training activities. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Feb 13, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets infielder Jett Williams (90) participates in Spring Training activities. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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New York Mets top prospect Jett Williams has not had much injury luck since the start of last season. However, he appears to have dodged a bullet after experiencing a scare in Friday’s spring training workout.

During a live batting practice session in Port St. Lucie, Williams was hit on the right hand by right-hander Blade Tidwell. Williams showed obvious signs of pain and was tended to by the Mets’ training staff, according to NorthJersey.com’s Andrew Tredinnick.

“I think we got lucky there,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told Tredinnick when asked about it. Williams later told Newsday's Tim Healey that the pitch hit him on the meaty part of his hand below the pinky, but he feels fine and wore a compression sleeve on his hand afterward.

Can Jett Williams rebound from his 2024 injuries?

Williams, 21, is looking to bounce back after a largely lost 2024 season. The 2022 first-round pick had just 148 plate appearances across three minor league levels, following wrist surgery in June to repair an injury he sustained in April. That injury kept him sidelined until late August.

During a brief rehab assignment with Low-A St. Lucie, Williams hit .250 in 12 at-bats before advancing to Double-A Binghamton. In 22 games there, he posted a .172/.287/.241 slash line with four doubles and one triple.

After the Double-A season ended, Williams received his first promotion to Triple-A Syracuse, where he impressed by hitting .364/.533/.546 in just six games, adding four doubles. He also played in the Arizona Fall League to make up for lost time.

In the AFL, he posted a .764 OPS over 101 plate appearances and primarily played center field. However, he had another injury scare in the league's finale, leaving the game with what was later diagnosed as a right ankle sprain after crashing into the outfield wall.

Williams enters the 2025 season as the No. 2 prospect in the Mets’ organization and No. 58 in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings. The 5-foot-6 speedster, drafted as a shortstop, also plays second base and continues to take reps in center field.

Due to the presence of Francisco Lindor at shortstop, Williams’ best path to becoming a major-league regular in Queens is at his other two positions. Fortunately for the top prospect, those are the two spots where the Mets seem to have the least certainty, especially beyond 2025.

Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor are both glove-first players and are expected to split time in center, barring a breakout offensive year from either. Meanwhile, veteran second baseman and 2022 NL batting champion Jeff McNeil is aiming to bounce back from a pair of down seasons, including an injury-shortened 2024.

The opportunity is there for Williams to earn a spot with the Mets at some point this season. Obviously, staying on the field is key.

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John Sparaco
JOHN SPARACO

John Sparaco is a contributing writer for the Mets website On SI. He has previously written for Cold Front Report, Times Union and JKR Baseball, where he profiled some of the top recruits, college players and draft prospects in baseball. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @JohnSparaco

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