Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
In mid-November the Mets claimed William Woods off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. The 24-year old from Tennessee finally made the majors last year where he pitched in two games in late April / early May. Before the start of last season, the Braves were so worried that Woods be selected in the Rule V draft that they added him to the 40-man roster. In the process of creating roster space at the end of the season the Mets were able to swoop in and pick him up.
In his brief time in the majors, Woods allowed no runs over two innings from two hits and a walk while striking out two. He showed his mid-90’s fastball with an average 2391 RPM and his mid-80’s slider with a 2504 RPM (Baseball Savant). He spent most of the season though bouncing around different levels of minor league ball while recovering from injuries. When he was on the field in the minors he had a 6.04 ERA and 1.342 WHIP over 24 games and 25 1/3 innings. The most significant injury he had was an ankle injury that sidelined him from May to July.
Braves websites have written about Woods in the past and their thoughts about his future role has shifted over the years. Before the 2022 season he was seen more as a starter leading with a powerful fastball. At the end of last season he was seen more as a reliever (with the same tool set). Ultimately, he needs to develop secondary pitches to stay in the majors.
William Woods is worth the look the Mets are going to give him this spring. The Mets always need flamethrowers in the bullpen and it is unpredictable when a player can find lightning in a bottle and put all their talents together. Woods has a lot of competition ahead of him. He’s not on the 40-man roster, he’s a righty, etc. Like everyone else we have looked at in this series, a strong spring can change everything.
