Luke Williams is chosen by the Braves At 9:40 a.m. CST on April 19, 2024 • By Darragh McDonald Luke Williams, an infielder/outfielder, was selected by the Braves, who also optioned outfielder Forrest Wall in a related transaction. There was an opening on the team’s 40-man roster.
Williams, a 27-year-old dynamic player, has spent the last few seasons hopping throughout the league. The Phillies selected him in the draft, and in 2021 he made his debut with them. However, in 2022, he was traded or acquired via waiver claims to the Giants, Marlins, and Dodgers. After that season, the Dodgers re-signed him to a minor level contract and non-tendered him. He was added to their squad for the 2023 season, but he was later sent to Atlanta through waivers. He was non-tendered for the second year in a row, and the team that released him later resigned him to a minor level contract.
While collecting all those jerseys, he also found time to play all four infield positions and all three outfield slots. He even threw one inning on the mound for the Dodgers last year. His 263 major league plate appearances have led to a batting line of .225/.281/.295, wRC+ of 60. That’s obviously subpar offense but he’s also stolen 17 bases in 23 tries and provides the aforementioned defensive versatility.
His offense has naturally been better in the minors. Going back to the start of 2022, he has hit .267/.356/.435 for a wRC+ of 97. That’s still a bit below average but it’s not bad for a guy who can swipe a bag from time to time while also wearing multiple different gloves. The combination is clearly appealing to teams, based on how many of them have acquired him in the past few years.
Atlanta has more needs in the infield than in the outfield because they recently lost Ozzie Albies to the injured list after suffering a broken toe. They have David Fletcher and Luis Guillorme covering second base, but Williams can move to the outfield and provide them with some more insurance there as well.
Wall has been a member of the team for the whole season, however he has only made one plate appearance and was used as a late substitute in two games. On the turf, the team regularly features Adam Duvall, Jarred Kelenic, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Michael Harris II, with Marcell Ozuna serving as the designated hitter. It appears the team will send Wall to Triple-A to get regular playing time rather than have him sit on the bench. Williams gives the team a little extra infield depth and can fill in as a pinch runner or defensive replacement on occasion. Williams still has options, so the team can choose to return him to the minors at a later date without having to worry about having him placed on waivers.
