Alika Williams knows how quickly fortunes can change, especially after a “crazy year” saw him start the season at Double-A only to be traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and promoted to the major leagues the next month.
After being thrust into the starting shortstop role late last July, Williams decided to take a proactive approach by setting a goal of adding strength to his wiry 6-foot-1 physique.
“You look across the field now, and everyone has a solid amount of muscle and they’re fast and strong,” said Williams, who turns 25 on Tuesday. “I feel like that was the part of my game that was kind of lacking. So that was the biggest focus this offseason, putting on a little more size. We met the goal. I wanted to put on 20 pounds, and I was able to do that. I feel great. I feel like the weight gain paired with all of the explosive running stuff we did, I don’t feel heavier at all. I feel normal.”
It certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who is impressed with Williams’ dedication to filling out his frame and his willingness to play whatever position gets him on the field.
“I think it really stands out that the weight he gained in a really good way, he was very intentional about it, the way he went about it,” Shelton said. “There’s not a lot of guys that have to continually eat and eat (to do that). I wish I could do that. It’s good weight, and he looks good, and he’s moving well. Very encouraging.”
With Oneil Cruz healthy, Williams is competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster by showing off his versatility. In addition to shortstop, he has played second base and third base in Grapefruit League games in hopes of proving he can serve in a utility role. Williams also has shagged flies in the outfield during batting practice, just in case.
“Anywhere I can be to help this team win, that’s my role,” Williams said. “I’m trying to find a spot for me to help this team win.”
Acquired by the Pirates in exchange for reliever Robert Stephenson on June 2, Williams was a 2020 first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays who had slipped to No. 29 in their prospect rankings. He took to heart the organization’s message to its players.
“The guys with the Rays would always preach to us in the minors, ‘You’re not just playing for the Rays. You’re playing for all 30 teams. You never know who’s watching,’ ” Williams said. “That’s how I’ve always played. I play my hardest. You never know what can happen. Last year was a great example of that.”
Williams made an instant impression on the Pirates. He batted .305/.384/.531 with eight doubles, seven homers and 20 RBIs in 36 games at Triple-A Indianapolis. When Tucupita Marcano suffered a season-ending torn ACL in late July at San Diego, the Pirates promoted Williams and started him at shortstop.
In his first inning in the field, his sweep tag caught Ha-Seong Kim stealing second base. In his first at-bat, he drew an 11-pitch walk against All-Star closer Josh Hader, fouling off four pitches with two strikes. He showed a good glove, turning 18 double plays and committing four errors in 108 chances over 301 2/3 innings in 45 games (33 starts).
What the Pirates want to see is whether Williams’ bat can play at the major league level as well as his glove did. He hit only .198 (20 for 101) with five doubles and six RBIs last season before being optioned to Indianapolis in late September. Fatigue was a factor.
“Towards the end of the year, the bat kind of slowed down a little bit,” Williams said. “Big league pitchers will find your weakness and just keep pounding it.”
Williams is batting .182 (4 for 22) in nine Grapefruit League games this spring and has fallen behind Ji Hwan Bae, Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero and Jared Triolo in the battle at second base. If Williams has an edge, it’s that he’s the best backup option to Cruz at shortstop. But he’s not banking on his glove alone to carry him.
“Across the board, we have a lot of guys that can play shortstop. That helps you play anywhere,” Williams said. “Honestly, if you can play shortstop, I think you can play second, third, first, outfield. I may have a slight edge because I got to play 40 games there last year, but all these guys are so good. A lot of us are in the same situation, in our first year. We’re all pushing each other to be the best version of ourselves.”
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.