Williamson’s struggles could alter club’s plans
SAN FRANCISCO >> It was a three-homer game that convinced the Giants Mac Williamson belonged in the major leagues again.
A five-strikeout game could be giving the organization second thoughts.
Three weeks after Williamson forced his way onto the Giants’ roster with three home runs for Triple-A Sacramento, the outfielder is in the midst of one of the worst slumps of his life. After entering Thursday’s game against Atlanta with a .143 average, Williamson became the first Giants player in nearly six seasons to strike out five times in the same game.
“As a pitcher, when you’re looking up there and the guy is hitting .120, .130 or whatever, that instantly gives them pretty good confidence,” Williamson said
Thursday. “They’re not afraid to throw to me right now.”
After being designated for assignment prior to Opening Day, clearing waivers and reporting to Sacramento, Williamson posted a 1.215 OPS in 23 games for the River Cats. In his first 14 games with the Giants, Williamson’s .439 OPS is nearly 800 points lower as he has just one hit in his last 23 at-bats.
“He’s fighting it a little bit,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s a tough game when you’re caught in between, and I know he’s battling his tail off. You’re looking for hard contact, and it hasn’t been there for him.”
Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said at the time of Williamson’s call-up that the club planned to give the powerhitting outfielder an extended audition to win a starting role. Opening Day corner outfielders Connor Joe and Michael Reed were jettisoned after a combined 23 at-bats while prospect Mike Gerber was optioned back to Triple-A after going 1 for 14 in four games.
Williamson has taken just 47 atbats since his call-up, but given the quality of his plate appearances, the Giants’ patience could be running thin.
The organization does not have a long list of top prospects ready to supplant Williamson, but they do have a handful of players worthy of consideration for more playing time.
Tyler Austin, a right-handed hitter acquired on April 8, is at the top of that list.
Austin homered for the second straight game Thursday as he continues to showcase impressive power against left-handed pitchers. The former Yankees prospect hit 17 home runs last season and owns a 1.159 OPS against lefties 33 at-bats this year.
The Giants still view Austin as a defensive liability in left field, but given Williamson’s struggles and Austin’s potential, Bochy indicated after Thursday’s 5-4 loss to the Braves that sending Austin to the outfield is a much stronger consideration.
“We’ll huddle up and see what we can do to add some offense here,” Bochy said.
Austin is a career .204 hitter against righties, which suggests he’s more of a fit for a platoon role than a job as an everyday starter. Platooning Austin with a lefthanded hitter in left field isn’t possible given the current construction of the Giants’ 25-man roster, but the club does have options if it moves on from Williamson.
Gerber is back on track in Triple-A after a rough weekend with the Giants at the beginning of May as he’s hitting .328 with a .584 slugging percentage. The Giants also have an intriguing candidate to platoon in left field in 28-yearold Mike Yastrzemski, who was acquired on March 23 in a trade that sent minor league pitcher Tyler Herb to the Orioles.
Yastrzemski has never played in the majors, but he’s recorded 24 extra-base hits including 12 home runs in his first 39 games with Sacramento. Yastrzemski isn’t a member of the Giants’ 40-man roster, but if the club opted to designated Williamson for assignment again, it would create a path for the grandson of Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski to make his major league debut.
The Giants know there’s a level of risk involved if they decide to move on from Williamson, as the outfielder can choose to become a free agent if he’s designated again. Williamson has shown flashes of potential and caught a lot of difficult breaks, making it difficult for the Giants to properly evaluate him in just 47 at-bats.
It doesn’t help his cause that Williamson isn’t being pitched according to scouting reports.
“They’re pitching me differently than in the book, than they normally do,” Williamson said. “You’ve got guys who throw a lot of off-speed and they’re throwing fastballs, or they throw a lot of fastballs and they’re throwing off-speed.”
Williamson’s 13th inning at-bat against Braves closer Luke Jackson in Thursday’s game offered a prime example. Jackson throws his slider on more than 50 percent of his pitches, but opened the at-bat with four straight 95 or 96 miles per hour fastballs. When he did turn to his slider, Williamson swung through it.
“I was late on the fastball and when you’re late on the fastball, it really exposes you to everything,” Williamson said. “You feel maybe you need to cheat to the fastball, then you’re exposed to the offspeed.”
It’s unclear when the Giants will feel they’ve had the proper amount of time to evaluate Williamson or when they’ll become completely comfortable with Austin’s defense in left field, but everyone in the organization acknowledges the status quo at the position isn’t acceptable.
“We’ll talk about it some more,” Bochy said Thursday. “We’ve got to get some production from left field, no question.”