AngelsWin.com Today: AngelsWin Top 30 Prospects: # 23 SS Nonie Williams

[AngelsWin.com]

Prospect: Nonie Williams

Rank: 23

2016: 7

Position(s): SS

Level: Rookie Ball

Age: Entering Age 20 season in 2018.

Height: 6’2” – Weight: 200 lb.

 

_______________________________

 

 

Floor: Minor League Fodder

 

Ceiling: All-star caliber infielder.

 

Likely Outcome: Utility Infielder with power

Summary: Nonie has certainly had his share of ups and downs as a ball player, dating all the way back to high school.  As a home school student, Nonie attended a class or two on campus at Turner High School in Kansas City (KS), in order to be eligible to play on their baseball team.  Shortly before last season’s draft, Nonie spoke with scouts who had convinced him to take a couple of extra classes to graduate and declare himself as draft eligible as an 18 year old rather than at age 19 as he would have been this year.  Williams’ raw skills were on display at scouting tournaments and major league organizations began to take notice of a kid that is built like a young A-Rod, is a switch hitter with tape measure power from both sides of the plate and was one of the fastest players in the draft.

The Angels may have selected him in the third round of the draft, but the consensus was that Williams likely could’ve gone near the first round last year or in the first round this year.

His first experience in the AZL last season didn’t go so well.  Williams struggled against higher quality pitching, more specifically, strike zone management and while he was a big, athletic shortstop, his actions were very unrefined.  So this past year Williams focused own improving his pitch recognitions, showing patience at the plate and cleaning up his footwork and actions at shortstop.

His second experience in the AZL didn’t go any better than the first.  Nonie did improve his offensive skill set by taking more walks, but he also struck out more.  And for all that power he has during batting practice, it hasn’t translated to the game yet.  But at the very least we can say that Williams made himself into a better infielder.  People that saw him play in the AZL last season indicate that his swing looked slow, and mechanical.  A scout I spoke with said that Nonie was in the process of learning a new swing because the one he graduated from high school with was too long and just was not going to work at the upper levels.  He’s opened his stance a little, has more bend in his knee, doesn’t bring his hands as far back, and doesn’t have the high leg kick and load that he did in high school.

However, from a scouting standpoint, it’s all still there.  Williams has as much if not more bat speed than anyone in minor league baseball.  His swing and strength rival that of Randal Grichuk when he was Williams’ age.  In fact their general build and mannerisms are quite similar as well.

But patience is key with Nonie as he basically learns how to hit again and develops as a player.

And so it stands with Williams, he’s at a bit of a cross road heading into his third season of professional baseball.  Nonie appears to be outgrowing the shortstop position as he is bigger and stronger than he was on draft day, so a move to third base or second base (or even the outfield) could be in the works.  For now he still has the skill set to play a competent shortstop, though one wonders if that’s ultimately his defensive home.  From an offensive standpoint, power is the last tool to develop and so we can’t expect Williams to suddenly grow into a power hitter overnight.  However, that ability to does reside in his frame and potential.  But Nonie will need to start making contact and getting on base with some regularity.

He isn’t running out of time at age 20.  Not by any means.  But Nonie has to show the ability to make the adjustments.

What to expect next season: The Angels may slot Williams back in the Arizona Rookie League for the third consecutive year, and they’d be justified in doing so based on his performance.  Or if Williams does show considerable improvement coming into Spring Training, he could be headed to Orem for the higher level of Rookie Ball.  After two seasons of professional ball and working with his swing, I expect Williams will show up to camp in a better position to compete and will find himself in Orem next season.  Specifically, I’ll be looking for Williams to cut his K% and play with more fluidity and confidence.  He’s been blessed with so much athletic ability, and one can get so caught up in coaches trying to implement different things, but at some point, Williams natural ability just has to take over.

Estimated Time of Arrival: 2023, Nonie’s age 24 season. 

 

Grade as a prospect: C

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[Second Base]

This guy is on the top 30 based purely on potential. We have a couple of those with Nonie, Hunter Jr., and Jerryell Rivera.

[Docwaukee]

So I consider Williams our most interesting prospect.  Not one that has a high chance of success by any means.  He's absolutely dreadful to start his pro career no doubt.  He'll come out of nowhere in 3 years or he'll be let go around the same time.   

[totdprods]

I can't remember the specifics...but...he either went from hitting right-handed only to switch-hitting, or vice versa, and there was some (small sample size) data that suggested he was raking against lefties or righties, and it made me wonder if perhaps there was something as simple as ditching switch-hitting would help. 

[Docwaukee]

5 minutes ago, totdprods said:

I can't remember the specifics...but...he either went from hitting right-handed only to switch-hitting, or vice versa, and there was some (small sample size) data that suggested he was raking against lefties or righties, and it made me wonder if perhaps there was something as simple as ditching switch-hitting would help. 

I think they have him hitting only RHed now.  He didn't totally rake vs. lefties but in a small sample he was decent with a .783 ops but he walked once in 42 PA.  He might go to Orem this year but to date, I don't think we can put much stock in his numbers.  

[AngelStew43]

He is still really young.  I may not have even listed him at this point, given his numbers.  He has a lot of time to develop, even so.

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

I love the predictions........ Of all of our Prospects you guys do!

 

Floor: AAAA player

 

Ceiling: All-star caliber infielder

 

Likely Outcome: Utility Infielder with power

 

Why isn't anyone's Likely outcome: A night shift AM/PM worker?.....

 

for Pitchers

 

Floor: Swing guy in the Bullpen

 

Ceiling: TOP/Mid of Rotation Starter

 

Likely Outcome: Minor League Journeyman

 

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, SlappyUtilityMIF said:

I love the predictions........ Of all of our Prospects you guys do!

 

Floor: AAAA player

 

Ceiling: All-star caliber infielder

 

Likely Outcome: Utility Infielder with power

 

Why isn't anyone's Likely outcome: A night shift AM/PM worker?.....

 

for Pitchers

 

Floor: Swing guy in the Bullpen

 

Ceiling: TOP/Mid of Rotation Starter

 

Likely Outcome: Minor League Journeyman

 

If Salas had been in our minor league system....  I'd have put his ceiling as "fluffer".

[Docwaukee]

3 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

If Salas had been in our minor league system....  I'd have put his ceiling as "fluffer".

in tdawg's ranking system, that's everyone's ceiling.  

[Angelsjunky]

The most discouraging thing about Nonie is that he showed absolutely no progress in 2017, at least as far as the stats go; they are the exact same as 2016. I'd like to see some serious progress in 2018 before taking him seriously as a prospect, otherwise his ceiling may be more along the lines of what @Inside Pitch has in mind.

[Second Base]

I know I've said this before, but from all I've watched among prospects and major leaguers, I've identified one single factor that dictates whether a ball player is successful. It's damn near impossible to scout before an athlete signs his first contract. 

The ability to adjust.

Trout is the best because in candid conversation about him, particularly when he was younger, you'd hear about how he "adjusts on the fly."

Trout wasn't so hot in his first taste of pro ball at age 19. No reason is given. He wasn't injured, he wasn't worn out, he wasn't ill-prepared. 

Trout failed because he'd never seen anything that good before. Then he adjusted and was the best player since Mantle and Mays. But even after his adjustment, pitchers adjusted and his strikeouts inflated, then Trout adjusted again.

Nonie Williams came out of high school with more power and almost as much speed as Trout. The difference is Trout saw the pitching in Rookie Ball and immediately figured out what he had to do to be successful.

Adjustment is ultimately what has separated Trout from any other generational talent like Byron Buxton. They both were amazing in A Ball at a much younger age than expected. The difference is Trout adjusted and readjusted and is constantly doing so quickly. It happens within an AB. Buxton has done so over a month. He figures out what pitchers were doing to get him out and Buxton fixes it and is awesome and then pitchers readjust and he's lost for a while until he figured it out again then he's great again.

I have no idea how to teach someone how to adjust. Maybe it's just experience. Maybe it can't be taught. Maybe it's how quickly our brain can process changes. Maybe it's keeping calm when things go awry and making logical decisions. 

Nonie needs to make the adjustments and learn to make them very quickly.

You can take a player that isn't incredibly talented, but if that player makes adjustments, he can be a major leaguer. Just look at Johnny Giavotella.

[arch stanton]

I remember seeing some footage of him swinging from both sides of the plate after he was drafted and thinking his left handed swing wasn’t nearly as smooth. Maybe now if he’s settled on being a strict right hander he can get some consistency 

[Dugout]

I saw this guy last summer at 220lbs Nonie runs a 6.4, and throws 96MPH from the outfield with a very fast bat. He hits lefties very well and is adjusting to his all righty approach at the plate, and still 19 years old. Everything that I read on him said he was a huge athlete that would take years to develop I don't think I would give up on him yet...Hell trade him for pitching!

[Second Base]

2 hours ago, Dugout said:

I saw this guy last summer at 220lbs Nonie runs a 6.4, and throws 96MPH from the outfield with a very fast bat. He hits lefties very well and is adjusting to his all righty approach at the plate, and still 19 years old. Everything that I read on him said he was a huge athlete that would take years to develop I don't think I would give up on him yet...Hell trade him for pitching!

I think the very fact that he's on our Top 30 is indicative of the fact that collectively, we haven't given up on Nonie. His learning curve has been pretty steep so far but the potential is there.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Nonie sounds like the Samoan chick when you were growing up that lived in the bad apartments around the corner that you were always nice to, because you already saw her punk out two of your guy friends for their bike.

[IEAngelsfan]

2 hours ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Nonie sounds like the Samoan chick when you were growing up that lived in the bad apartments around the corner that you were always nice to, because you already saw her punk out two of your guy friends for their bike.

Or a teenage character on that 70's TV show "What's Happening."