Chris Williams is a new face in Mets camp this year. Williams was drafted by the Twins in 2018 and has been with their organization ever since, pitching rookie ball all the way to AAA.
The Mets catching chart is thin after Alvarez and Luis Torrens. There is no third catcher listed on the 40-man roster, leaving a fully open roster battle for Kevin Parada, Hayden Senger, Jakson Reetz and Chris Williams this month. So far (2/25) Williams has gone 1-for-3 hitting a home run and striking out twice.
The Mets are taking a chance of Chris Williams because his bat has some pop. Over 481 games in the minor leagues, he has 95 home runs. In 2023 he hit .236/.352/.495 with 21 homers over 95 games. Last season he hit .221/.339/.461 with 17 homers over 88 games. A chunk of last seasons performance came on a hot streak he ended the season with, going 12-for-36 with four home runs over his final 12 games of the season (.333/.455/.694).
If Chris Williams hits this spring, he could fight his way to third on the Mets depth chart, and a spot on the taxi squad that comes up when the Mets feel they need a third catcher. Here’s what we are watching for this spring:
- Does he still have the pop he has shown in the minors? He already has one home run this spring!
- Do Mets pitchers like pitching to him? Who is he catching? Are the Mets trying to get him familiar with anyone?
