The Dodgers have obtained right-hander Kendall Williams as one of the players to be called later on in the other days trade that sent out Ross Stripling to the Blue Jays. Williams was Torontos second-round choice in the 2019 draft, and the 20-year-old took an above-slot perk to start his pro career rather than go to Vanderbilt.
Theres certainly sufficient capacity here to see why the Dodgers would be captivated in including such a young arm to their already-deep minors talent swimming pool, particularly for a non-elite however strong pitcher like Stripling who wasnt even a full-time rotation member. From the Jays perspective, they naturally see a longer-term however promising possession like Williams (who isnt one of the upper-tier prospects in their farm system) as an affordable rate for Stripling, who has already revealed that he can provide at the MLB level and can assist the Blue Jays win both in 2020 and in 2021-22 before he is scheduled to reach free company.
MLB Pipeline ranks Williams as the 13th-best prospect in the Jays farm system, calling him “the quintessential projectable high school right-hander” with “potentially big upside.” The 6 6 ″ right-hander has a fastball that is approaching mid-90s speed, though his biggest property might be his total four-pitch toolbox rather than any one signature offering. Baseball Americas scouting report cites Williams curveball, slider, and changeup “might all be typical or better.”
