MMO Exclusive: One-On-One With Jett Williams

Growing up, Jett Williams heard the detractors who questioned his abilities on the baseball field due to his height.

Instead of letting that define him, Williams, who’s listed at five-foot-eight, used that as motivation to prove them wrong.

Selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2022 Draft (14th overall) out of Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, Texas, Williams has gotten off to a fast start in his professional career.

Getting his feet wet after signing with the Mets for a $3.9 million signing bonus, Williams played in 10 games in the Florida Complex League in ’22, posting an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .803, while going six-for-six in stolen base opportunities.

Williams was assigned to Low-A St. Lucie to start the 2023 campaign, getting his first taste of full-season ball. The 19-year-old’s first 36 games of the season showcased his advanced plate discipline, as he posted a .390 on-base percentage with a walk rate of over 18 percent. However, Williams wasn’t hitting for much power, evidenced by his .282 slugging percentage.

At the behest of a former Mets coach in their minor league system, Williams altered his leg kick last year and felt comfortable enough with it this past offseason. When the power results weren’t materializing in games, Williams converted back to his former approach and saw drastic improvements.

From the second game of a doubleheader on June 2 through August 2 (45 games in total), Williams has posted a slugging percentage of .510 with a .454 on-base percentage. In that span, Williams has drawn more walks (44) than strikeouts (40).

After St. Lucie’s game on Sunday, Tim Healey of Newsday reported that Williams had been promoted to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. He went 1-for-2 with a double, three walks and a stolen base in his Cyclones debut on Tuesday.

There’s a lot to like about Williams. Along with his superior on-base skills, Williams is a stolen base threat, swiping 39 bags while getting caught just seven times in his professional career (a success rate of 84.8 percent).

Rated as a plus runner, Williams gives the Mets options defensively going forward. Drafted as a shortstop, Williams has already seen some time in center this season, a position he’s played during his high school career. Because of his athleticism and speed, Williams profiles as an up-the-middle player and expressed a willingness to play wherever the Mets want him to and at a position that gets him the majors the quickest.

Getting drafted in the first round and making an immediate impact only strengthens Williams’ resolve, while also helping to silence those early critics who questioned his potential.

“I like to prove people wrong because I’m not the typical height for a shortstop,” said Williams over the phone. “I feel like that’s kind of who I am in just the way I play. I feel that’s definitely helped me become who I am.”

I had the privilege of speaking with Williams after a St. Lucie Mets game in July, where we discussed his early development, proving critics wrong, and advanced plate discipline.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Williams: The people I looked up to the most were my brothers and sister; they helped get me to where I’m at.

Baseball-wise, Mookie Betts and Alex Bregman just because they were more of the smaller guys and were dominating the league. I’m a pretty small guy so I was like, I can definitely do that if they’re doing it.

 

MMO: You brought up your brothers. In a YouTube video called “4: The Jett Williams Story,” which Rockwall County Gameday put out last year, a theme that came across was how close you are to them. What did they mean to you athletically?

Williams: We are all so close so it was easy for us to push each other. I was around my brothers since I could walk, and we were always on the baseball field. I was always trying to be in the dugout and be my oldest brother’s batboy and around him 24/7. I still learn a lot from him and talk with him a lot about certain aspects of the game.

My middle brother helped a lot too. My middle brother played lacrosse, so it was a bit different since he didn’t play baseball. Even though he didn’t play baseball he still helps me out.

We all work out together and are close to each other, especially since we’re boys and everything we did was always a competition. They definitely helped me get to where I am today, and without them, I don’t think I would be here.

MMO: Your first name is so unique. Is there a story behind how your parents landed on the name Jett?

Williams: My dad was the one that came up with it. All of our names start with “J,” except my oldest brother, who’s named after my dad (Richard).

My dad was like, “I think Jett would sound good over the loudspeaker playing baseball.” I guess he kind of predicted it. [Laughs.]

MMO: I read that you worked on your hitting at 7AR Clubhouse Academy in Texas. Can you talk about how you initially came to work with them? And what are some of the skills you developed?

Williams: Aldrey Rincones is my hitting coach. I talk with him every day about anything and everything, even non-baseball related. I was about ten-years-old when we started working together.

In the seventh grade, I went out to the Texas Rangers’ ballpark because he’s best friends with Robinson Chirinos, Rougned Odor and Elvis Andrus. He’s from Venezuela so he had that connection [with them]. Being around those guys helped me a lot, especially Chirinos and Odor over these few years just learning about the grind of playing professional baseball.

I pick their brains and it helps me because they’ve been through it. I always ask them questions and have them look over my swing. They’ve been through it so they know all these hitting techniques and drills that work and what doesn’t work.

Me and my hitting coach are very, very close. I feel like being around them almost every offseason for the last six years really, really helped. For the most part, it wasn’t too much swing change; my swing is pretty simple. It was more of continuing to develop each and every year throughout my high school career. It was about having the barrel control and hitting to all parts of the field.

MMO: How often would you train at 7AR?

Williams: I went there every single day. Since the Covid year, everything got canceled and we had to do school online. After I did school online, I would go there and literally be there all day hitting, working out, doing everything.

In my 2021 year, we had the option to go to school or do it online, and I did it online. Those two years it was wake up, do my school online and go over to the Academy.

I hit every single day, sometimes two times a day. I’d go there and then go to the field at our high school and do some fielding and hitting a bit more. I was pretty much focused on hitting every single day.

MMO:  I saw in an interview you gave during this past spring training that you have a goal board. When did you start to use a goal board, and how has that aided in keeping your focus?

Williams: My dad came to me in eighth grade and was like, “I think you should write down some of your goals on a piece of paper, or even on a goal board and read them every day.”

He told me they don’t have to be crazy goals, but goals that I think I can achieve and some that are going to be very hard. If you shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land in the stars and you’re going to be there.

My first goal ever since I started the goal board was to get drafted in the first round. My number one goal never changed and I would always add on to the goal board.

In my freshman year, I made ten goals since it was very new and I was still learning how to write things down of what I wanted to achieve. I checked off all ten goals after my freshman year and I was like, Wow, I think this works! My dad said, “You’re probably not going to be able to check off all ten of these every single time because you’re going to fail and succeed. There are going to be failures in there, but that will help you succeed in the long run.”

I kept adding to that each year and I still live by that today. Ever since I got out of high school I changed it up; I have a new number one goal and then I have about 15 goals until 2025. And I have in-season and long-term goals.

MMO: Do you have the goal board with you?

Williams: Yes. I have one in my house in St. Lucie and when I go to the field I have one in my notebook; those are in-season goals.

MMO: You mentioned having a notebook for the ballpark. Besides goals, do you write anything else in there pertaining to the game? Similar to how Carlos Delgado kept a notebook and tracked pitch sequencing.

Williams: No, not really. I’m big into looking at video. I like to look at video of my swings, even if I’m going really good. I’ll look at my swing on one screen and then if I’m doing bad I’ll put them side-by-side just because I know my swing so well; I’ve kind of done it my whole life.

If I’m not going good, it’s most likely something to do with my hands being too high or too low. I’ll look at videos side-by-side of my swings and it’s like, Oh, there it is. Here’s a little fix. I’ll tweak it and it’s back to normal.

I watch videos of the pitchers, too. I’m constantly going through who the starter is and looking at videos to see their tendencies to see if they tip pitches and what not.

MMO: You’ve talked about how in the past people questioned your abilities because of your height. How were you able to tune out those detractors and push forward with your ultimate goal of playing professional baseball?

Williams: Growing up, I’ve always been the smallest kid around, so it’s not anything new to me. I would go to showcases and always did really well, but I was a smaller guy. It’s definitely helped me because I play with a little chip on my shoulder.

MMO: What are your memories from the 2022 Draft?

Williams: It all went by so fast. The lead up to that day is still pretty awesome. On Draft day, there were a lot of emotions just because I had no idea who I would be going to.

I went to a pre-draft workout, but I couldn’t work out because we (high school team) were still in the playoffs. I really didn’t do anything except drive about an hour away and went to talk to the guys and left. I was there for like 15 minutes and felt bad that I couldn’t work out. But that was the only time I talked with them (the Mets) all year.

My agent was like, “Once the 8th pick hits you have a chance to go. Be ready.” My agent and dad were the ones communicating of where I was going to go because they wanted me to be surprised.

Once I heard my name called it was awesome; it’s a moment I will never forget. It was weird because you watch the Draft in years past and you hear these guys’ names and see them in the pros and it’s like, Wow, I’m doing this now, this is my job. I can be someone that somebody looks up to. I thought that was pretty awesome.

MMO: Speed is a big part of your game. Has that always been a tool for you? And what are some things you do to hone that skill?

Williams: I feel like I’ve always been fast. My dad jokes around with me saying, “Thank God you’re fast because then we’d have to change your name.”

I would say going into the seventh grade is when I started really working out and using that speed and agility to get faster and quicker. I work out with my brothers, they’re pretty fast too. I always wanted to beat them in races because I’d have to hear it. I’m the youngest one so they were definitely not going to let me beat them.

I feel like I’ve always been fast and I’ve always worked on my jumps. Baseball is a little bit different because you’re not really running in a straight line and have to take turns.

It’s a pretty crazy goal, but my goal coming into this season was seventy bags. Even from the start, I’ve learned that stealing is about getting good jumps and knowing when to go and when not to. People don’t realize [the situations] when it’s like, I want to go right here but it’s a fastball count, or, the guy behind you has been hitting curveballs. It’s just watching the game. Like, there are power hitters behind me, this is the count, okay, a curveball’s going to be coming. I might have gotten out the first time and now I’m on base, he threw this pitch, he threw it again. Okay, now I know.

For me, it’s getting good jumps down in good counts.

MMO: Have the limited disengagements by pitchers helped your running game as well?

Williams: Yeah, I feel that’s definitely been a big part. People don’t really want to pick over that much, especially if they pick over one time because then they have just two more. You really only have one more because the third one they usually never pick and you have to go or it’s a balk.

If I’m not going I’ll try to get a pretty big lead just to see if I can get a pick. A big part too is — it’s a little different in high school because there you can go if they slide-step or not — is just knowing when to shut it down or not to.

MMO: You have terrific plate recognition, and your walk rate is over 20 percent as a 19-year-old this season. Can you talk a bit about your approach at the plate, and how you’ve learned to be such a disciplined hitter?

Williams: I feel like my approach is pretty simple: I try not to think at all in the box. I just try to see the ball, hit the ball. I try to hit gaps and attack the fastball, but my hands are good enough that if they throw the offspeed I can recognize it and just sit back and flick my hands out there.

I’ve always had a pretty good eye at the plate, I do a lot of hand-eye coordination stuff, especially at 7AR Academy. At the end of our hitting sessions, he’ll throw live to me, and we’ll have the box and everything, and it’s pitch recognition, too.

I think sometimes it’s God-given just being able to recognize pitches really well out of the hand and just spitting on them. I probably noticed it once I got into high school when you started seeing better pitching.

Overall, I see the ball really well and I kind of know my strike zone and know what pitches I want to hit that I can do damage with. If they throw a couple of pitches around the corner you just tip your cap. For the most part, I try to battle and if it’s not my pitch, I’ll spit on it.

I always want to be aggressive and be able to rope a double or a triple or hit a home run every game. For me, it’s just good, hard contact and take what they give you. I learned that in high school last year. I had a ton of walks and a ton of intentional walks just because they didn’t want me to beat them. My coaches would say, “If they really want to put you on or if you walk, then steal second and steal third, and there’s your triple right there.”

If they’re not going to throw me my pitch or what I’m sitting on in that at-bat I’ll just take what I get and steal a couple of bags and get in scoring position for the person behind me.

MMO: Over your first 36 games of the 2023 season, you struggled a bit in the power department, posting a sub-.300 slugging. You’ve raised your season slugging percentage by over 120 points since that time. Were there any adjustments you made to see such results?

Williams: I tweaked a little bit. Leading up to the Rookie League last year, there was a coach in the Mets organization that tried to tweak a little bit with my leg kick. I think it was a good tweak and once I did it and did it all offseason it was really good in the cage.

I used it in the first 36 games and the leg kick just wasn’t working for me, I was kind of late on everything. I was just like, I’m going to how I was hitting in high school of just being simple.

I was looking back at my swings from high school and comparing them like I was talking about earlier. For me, it wasn’t struggling, it was more of not being in a groove. Just that little tweak with the leg kick and my hand positioning was all it was, and that’s what really helped, I believe. I feel like ever since I made that tweak I’ve gotten into a groove and it’s kind of shown.

MMO: You’ve mainly played shortstop, but you have seen some time in center this season. How has that adjustment been, and what are your thoughts on switching positions at some point?

Williams: I played center a bit in high school; I played it all my junior year. We had a really good infield and the person who was going to play short was moving to second, and the guy at second was going to the outfield. I told my coach, ‘I’ll go out there and it’ll make our outfield better since our infield will be good.’ It was all to do whatever it takes to help make the team better.

For me, as long as I’m on the field it doesn’t really matter. I obviously love shortstop, and that’s kind of all I’ve played my whole life, but I enjoy center as well. I think it’s fun getting to track down balls and throw people out, get to the balls in the gap and make diving catches. Obviously, when I’m hitting, I don’t want the centerfielder to do that to me. [Laughs.]

It’s fun to play out there and as long as I’m on the field I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team and help me get to the big leagues as fast as possible.

MMO: Being drafted out of high school, how has the transition been for you in terms of playing more games?

Williams: I think the transition is a bit different just because of how many games there are. For the most part, my body feels great. There’s days I’ve been tired, but that’s what they call the grind of just you playing every single day.

You’re playing Tuesday through Sunday, and as a 19-year-old, I used to play Tuesday and Friday and could do whatever; obviously, I was still hitting and working out. It’s learning to play every day, showing up to the field even if you’re not in the mood to play that day. You just tell yourself you have to show up to the field and be ready to play because somebody else really wants to play or someone wants to be in your shoes and you just can’t take it for granted.

Playing every single day is a lot different from high school, but I’ve really enjoyed it and I think it’s awesome. I still think it’s pretty cool saying my job is baseball.

Follow Jett Williams on Twitter, @jettwilliams04