Mets prospect Jett Williams, coming off lost season, aiming for majors in 2025
The Mets's Jett Williams stretches during a spring training workout in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Under the beating sun Thursday morning, Jett Williams — in camp early, Mets swag on, hat tight, hair long — fielded a bunch of ground balls at shortstop, his natural position, then took a bunch more at second base, one of his newer spots.
On Friday, based on his recent routine, he’ll grab his other glove, join a different group of players and practice on the grass as a neophyte centerfielder.
And some days during this spring training, he said, he plans to do both.
This is life now for Williams, the Mets’ top hitting prospect. Coming off a season mostly lost to injury, he plans to find himself again in 2025 — in the majors, preferably, and wherever team decision-makers want defensively.
“Everybody knows,” Williams said, “the big goal.”
The big goal is to make his debut at age 21. But at the outset, given his skill set and the Mets’ personnel, there is an even bigger question: Is there a version of this season in which Williams emerges as a major-league regular?
“You never know,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “You know that you’re going to use a lot of players. The biggest thing for him is he’s got to play. He’s got to continue his development. Anything is possible. I’m not going to close the door. Nobody is.”
Consider that two of Williams’ three positions are the spots at which the Mets seem to have the least certainty, especially beyond this season.
They expect Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor to split time in centerfield; both are glove-first players and would be quality fourth outfielders. Jeff McNeil likely will open at second, but he has something to prove after a couple of down years (including an injury-shortened strong second half in 2024). Mendoza highlighted McNeil’s versatility when discussing the Mets’ second-base situation this week.
There may well be room for a surprise, then, at either spot — but only if Williams performs.
“I have to earn everything,” said the Mets’ first-round draft pick in 2022.
Williams, listed at 5-6 and 175 pounds, has manned second in only five professional games. His centerfield total is 33, but he noted that he hasn’t gotten much formal instruction in that area, instead mostly letting his instincts and athleticism take over. So he is looking forward to spending time in the coming weeks with Antoan Richardson, the Mets’ outfield coach.
“Any time you get an elite athlete out there, you’re excited,” Richardson said.
Before the Mets have any substantial conversations about Williams in the majors, he will need to master the upper minors. And he can do that only if he stays on the field.
Last year, wrist surgery limited him to 33 games, including six with Triple-A Syracuse at the end of his season. He also played in the Arizona Fall League to try to make up for missed time.
“It was boring, but I think you learn a lot about yourself,” Williams said of sitting out. “You find an identity. You never know what could happen. You don’t take anything for granted. There’s a lot of people who would love to be in our shoes, so show up to the field every day wanting to get better, because you never know when it’s going to get taken away from you.”
That is the perspective Williams will carry into 2025.
“Priority one is let’s have a healthy season that allows him to get 550 plate appearances,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “That would be outstanding. I’m pretty confident that if we have a healthy season that allows him to get 550 plate appearances, we’re going to see a player who is going to continue to grow, move up the ladder a little bit and put himself in a position where people are starting to actually talk about him as a major-league option.”
Even though shortstop is spoken for by virtue of Francisco Lindor’s presence and production, the Mets will keep letting Williams play there because doing so “helps you play the rest of the field,” Stearns said.
“What I would anticipate is we’re looking at a player who can play the three premium positions at an average or better level,” Stearns said. “I really think he has that ability. There aren’t too many people who can do that.”
Mendoza said: “There’s something about him, the way he carries himself — even though he’s not too big. There’s something about this kid. There’s something there.”
Notes & quotes: Dedniel Nunez, who missed virtually the entire second half with right forearm issues, likely will be limited to one inning per appearance, Mendoza said . . . Brandon Sproat, 24, the Mets’ top pitching prospect, revealed at least two offseason areas of focus: a new sinker, which he started throwing only at the very end of last season, and a new mustache, which was a group project with Atlanta prospect Hurston Waldrep, a former University of Florida teammate. They were pleasantly surprised with the results. A beaming Sproat said, “I’ve never been able to grow facial hair until I tried this offseason.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
