In short time, Jett Williams has made a big impression on the Brewers
· Yahoo Sports
GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Jett Williams hasn’t seen the field much, but when he has he’s shown flashes of why manager Pat Murphy raves about him.
In his return from two weeks out with a quad injury, Williams smoked a 106.6 mph double in his first plate appearance and drew a seven-pitch walk in his second. On an evening when the Brewers reached base three times against Guardians starter Slade Cecconi, Williams accounted for two of those trips.
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“It’s what he’s been every time I’ve seen him,” Murphy said. “He’s an aggressive baseball player. Really aggressive."
Williams played in three games early in camp, walking twice and smacking a three-run triple in limited action but banged up his quad legging the hit out Feb. 23.
Missing that time hurt Williams’ chances of making the team out of camp, which already weren’t very high to begin with. That’s not so much because of talent level, but rather due to the focus of spring for the 22-year-old being about getting comfortable at third base, a position he’s never played as a professional.
“For me, it’s [like] I’m playing shortstop and playing in,” Williams said. “Still on the left side of the diamond. I just try to treat it like it’s shortstop. I talked to a couple of guys who have made that transition and really it’s just try to keep everything simple. Catch the ball and throw.”
Williams’ work and aptitude has impressed the Brewers in his first big-league camp, giving some of the club’s top brass feeling like they got even more than they bargained for in Williams in the January trade that sent Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers to the Mets.
Had Williams been healthy, he may have been able to crack the opening day roster based on the strong first impression he’s made. Instead, he’s likely ticketed for Class AAA Nashville to play the hot corner most days, but could easily see an early-season call-up with a hot start.
“I think he has to probably get more [time in Triple-A]. I think he would admit that,” Murphy said. “Everyone wants to be on the opening day roster, but even he would admit, ‘I haven’t really dominated Triple-A.’ And not that you really have to dominate it, but in some ways you do. In some ways you got to know like, ‘Wow, I can really do this.’”
The Brewers skipper isn’t the only Murphy that has been impressed by Williams. After the 1-0 loss to the Guardians in which Milwaukee mustered all of three hits, Williams spent 10 minutes talking with Kai Murphy, Pat’s son and current San Diego Padres farmhand, who he met while working out with Alex Bregman in Arizona during the off-season.
“Funny thing is when I was working out there, Murph was there,” Williams said. “And I’m like, ‘There’s the Brewers manager.’ I’m with the Mets still and I was like, ‘Why is he here?’ Kai is like, ‘Oh, that’s my dad.’ Yeah, that’s really funny. He’s like, ‘No, that’s my dad.’”
Williams knows now, and that's a good thing. In short time, the 5-foot-7 infielder has flown up the ranks of Murphy's favorite players, taking on the mold of a smaller, scrappier player who is an intense worker.
"This kid has been impressive," Murphy said. "Really impressive.”
Prospect watch
Cooper Pratt, making his 12th appearance of spring, started at shortstop and went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.
Mike Boeve also started and went 0 for 3.
Brewers spring training schedule
Brewers vs. Athletics, 3:10 p.m. Friday: Milwaukee LHP Kyle Harrison vs. Sacramento LHP Gage Jump. Radio – 620 WTMJ.
Brewers vs. Rockies, 3:10 p.m. Saturday: Milwaukee RHP Jacob Misiorowski vs. TBA. Radio – 620 WTMJ.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Jett Williams making strong impression on Pat Murphy, Brewers in camp