Justin Williams (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Justin Williams |
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Williams batting for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021
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| Lexington Legends – No. 4 | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: August 20, 1995 Houma, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 21, 2018, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2021 season) |
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| Batting average | .160 | ||
| Home runs | 4 | ||
| Runs batted in | 11 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Justin Paul Williams (born August 20, 1995) is an American professional baseball player. He plays as an outfielder for the Lexington Legends. This team is part of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Justin has also played in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Louis Cardinals.
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Justin's Early Baseball Days
Justin Williams went to Terrebonne High School in Houma, Louisiana. He was a very good hitter there. He had a batting average of .443. This means he got a hit almost half the times he batted. He also hit 22 home runs. He brought in 67 runs batted in (RBI) over 79 games.
After high school, Justin was chosen in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. The Arizona Diamondbacks picked him in the second round. This was a big step towards playing professional baseball.
Playing Professional Baseball
Starting with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Justin decided to sign with the Diamondbacks. He chose this instead of playing college baseball at Louisiana State University (LSU). He started his professional career that same year. He played for the Arizona League Diamondbacks. He also played for the Missoula Osprey and South Bend Silver Hawks. In 51 games, he hit .351 with one home run. In 2014, he continued to play for Missoula and South Bend. He played 74 games, hitting .351 with four home runs and 46 RBIs.
Moving to the Tampa Bay Rays
On November 14, 2014, Justin Williams was traded. He and Andrew Velazquez went from the Diamondbacks to the Tampa Bay Rays. In return, the Diamondbacks got Jeremy Hellickson.
Justin spent 2015 playing for two Rays teams. These were the Bowling Green Hot Rods and the Charlotte Stone Crabs. He had a combined batting average of .277. He hit seven home runs and had 48 RBIs in 122 games. In 2016, he played for Charlotte and the Montgomery Biscuits. He batted .295 with ten home runs and 59 RBIs in 90 games.
In 2017, Williams played for Montgomery again. He had a great year, hitting .301. He also hit 14 home runs and had 72 RBIs in 96 games. After the 2017 season, the Rays added him to their 40-man roster. This meant he was closer to playing in the major leagues. Justin was called up to the major leagues for the first time on July 21, 2018.
Time with the St. Louis Cardinals
On July 31, 2018, Justin was traded again. He, along with Génesis Cabrera and Roel Ramírez, went to the St. Louis Cardinals. This trade was for Tommy Pham. Justin was sent to the minor leagues after this trade. He did not play in the major leagues again until September 16, 2020.
In 2021, Justin made the Cardinals' Opening Day roster. This means he was on the team at the start of the season. He had batted .229 with one home run in spring training. On April 16, 2021, Justin hit his first major-league home run. It was off Zach Eflin in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Later, he was placed on the injured list. Before his injury, he played 51 games. He batted .160 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. After he got better, he was sent to the Memphis Redbirds. He finished the year playing for them. He left the Cardinals on November 5, 2021, and became a free agent.
Playing for Other Teams
On March 8, 2022, Justin signed a minor league contract. This was with the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He played for four different Phillies minor league teams. These included the Florida Complex League Phillies and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. In 27 games, he hit .211 with one home run and 11 RBIs. He also stole 4 bases. He became a free agent again on November 10.
On April 13, 2023, Justin signed with the Milwaukee Milkmen. This team is in the American Association of Professional Baseball. In 31 games, he batted .225 with 3 home runs and 16 RBIs. He was released by Milwaukee on July 4.
On July 11, 2023, Justin joined the Staten Island FerryHawks. This team is in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 21 games, he batted .314 with five home runs and 12 RBIs. He also stole 3 bases. Justin played two games for Staten Island in 2024. He was released by the FerryHawks on May 10, 2024.
On May 18, 2024, Justin signed with the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars. This is another team in the Atlantic League. In 27 games, he hit .177 with three home runs and 11 RBIs.
Joining the Lexington Legends
On June 25, 2024, Justin Williams was traded to the Lexington Legends. This team is also in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 39 games for Lexington, he hit .216. He also had five home runs, 16 RBIs, and four stolen bases.
