{{short description|American baseball player (born 1992)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Austen Williams | image = Austen Williams with the Washington Nationals in 2019 spring training.jpg | width = 250 | caption = Williams with the Washington Nationals in 2019 spring training | team = | number = | position = Pitcher | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|12|19}} | birth_place = Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. | bats = Right | throws = Right | debutleague = MLB | debutdate = September 2 | debutyear = 2018 | debutteam = Washington Nationals | finalleague=MLB |finaldate=April 17 |finalyear=2019 |finalteam=Washington Nationals | statleague = MLB | stat1label = Win–loss record | stat1value = 0–1 | stat2label = Earned run average | stat2value = 10.80 | stat3label = Strikeouts | stat3value = 9 | teams = * Washington Nationals ({{mlby|2018}}–{{mlby|2019}}) }} '''Austen Thomas Williams''' (born December 19, 1992) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2018 and 2019.
==Career==
After graduating from Southwest Christian School,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eagleathletics.org/athletic-dept/collegiate-eagles.cfm|title = Collegiate Eagles - Southwest Christian School Athletics}}</ref> Williams enrolled at Texas State University where he played college baseball. He was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB draft. Williams struggled in 2016 and 2017, including in the Arizona Fall League, where he pitched for the Mesa Solar Sox.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.masnsports.com/byron-kerr/2018/01/nats-prospects-spotlight-bacus-williams-and-gushue.html|agency=MASN Sports|title=Nats prospects spotlight: Bacus, Williams and Gushue|first=Byron|last=Kerr|date=January 12, 2018|access-date=August 31, 2018}}</ref> Moved from the rotation into the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever in 2018, Williams prospered for the Double–A Harrisburg Senators, being named an Eastern League All-Star<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.federalbaseball.com/2018/7/9/17542934/washington-nationals-prospects-eastern-league-harrisburg-senators-taylor-gushue-kyle-mcgowin|agency=Federal Baseball|title=Washington Nationals' prospects; Eastern League All-Stars; Harrisburg Senators' Taylor Gushue; Kyle McGowin + more...|first=John|last=McInturff|date=July 9, 2018|access-date=August 31, 2018}}</ref> and earning a promotion by August to the Triple–A Syracuse Chiefs for the first time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://tdn.com/sports/baseball/sanchez-s-single-leads-syracuse-to---win-over/article_89725871-3863-5015-96b6-45788cd95aab.html|agency=TDN.com|title=Sanchez's single leads Syracuse to 6-3 win over Rochester|date=August 27, 2018|access-date=August 31, 2018}}</ref>
After Williams posted a 1.19 ERA across 68 innings for Double–A Harrisburg and Triple–A Syracuse, the Nationals selected Williams' contract on September 1, 2018,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.masnsports.com/masn-news-information/2018/09/nationals-recall-pedro-severino-and-select-austen-williams.html|agency=MASN Sports|title=Nationals recall Pedro Severino and select Austen Williams|date=September 1, 2018|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> adding him to the major league pitching staff following a trade that sent Gio González to the Milwaukee Brewers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2018/09/01/with-gio-gonzalez-gone-whats-next-for-the-nationals-starting-rotation/|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=With Gio Gonzalez gone, what's next for the Nationals' starting rotation?|first=Jesse|last=Dougherty|date=September 1, 2018|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> He made his major league debut the next day, striking out two Brewers in two relief innings.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.masnsports.com/nationals-pastime/2018/09/fedde-to-start-tuesday-ross-coming-soon.html|agency=MASN Sports|title=Fedde to start Tuesday, Ross coming soon (Nats down 9-4)|first=Mark|last=Zuckerman|date=September 2, 2018|access-date=September 2, 2018}}</ref>
Williams did not appear for Washington in 2020, and did not play in a game for the organization due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-canceled|access-date=September 27, 2024|website=mlb.com|language=en}}</ref> He was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to the Triple–A Fresno Grizzlies on October 9, 2020. Williams became a free agent on November 2.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Full List of 2020-2021 MiLB Free Agents|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/full-list-of-2020-2021-milb-free-agents/|access-date=September 27, 2024|website=baseballamerica.com|language=en}}</ref>
==Pitching style== On the mound, Williams employs a three-pitch mix, with a sinking fastball that tops out around {{convert|96|mph}}, a breaking ball variously described as a curveball or a slider, and a changeup.<ref name="kerzel090118">{{cite news|url=http://www.masnsports.com/nationals-pastime/2018/09/hellickson-progresses-to-throwing-curveballs-plus-other-notes.html|agency=MASN Sports|title=Hellickson progresses to throwing curveballs (plus other notes)|date=September 1, 2018|access-date=September 1, 2018|first=Pete|last=Kerzel}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://baseballcensus.com/2017/11/30/washington-nationals-austen-williams-scouting-report-baseball-player-evaluation-video-2017/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223040837/http://baseballcensus.com/2017/11/30/washington-nationals-austen-williams-scouting-report-baseball-player-evaluation-video-2017/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=December 23, 2017|title=Washington Nationals RHP Austen Williams Scouting Report, 2017|first=Bobby|last=DeMuro|agency=BaseballCensus|date=November 30, 2017|access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> Since moving to the bullpen after the 2017 season, Williams has focused more on a fastball-slider combination while building his velocity.<ref name="kerzel090118"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{baseballstats|mlb=657117|espn=41130|br=w/williau01|fangraphs=16309|brm=willia001aus}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Austen}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Baseball players from Fort Worth, Texas Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Washington Nationals players Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:Texas State Bobcats baseball players Category:Gulf Coast Nationals players Category:Auburn Doubledays players Category:Hagerstown Suns players Category:Potomac Nationals players Category:Harrisburg Senators players Category:Syracuse Chiefs players Category:Fresno Grizzlies players Category:Mesa Solar Sox players