Luke Williams isn’t shying away from the chaos that comes with being a Major League Baseball draft prospect. He is leaning into it, wearing it with gratitude and quiet confidence like he’s been there before.
The recent Franklin Regional graduate just finished a barnstorming tour, working out for MLB teams as the draft nears July 11-12 in Philadelphia.
Next will be the MLB Draft Combine, for which he received an invitation, which is validation he is a high-round candidate who is firmly on the radar of pro teams.
Williams had a chance to work out with 20 teams but narrowed the list, with the help of his advisers, to a manageable number of 11.
“It definitely has been a lot the past few weeks,” the shortstop said. “I’m really trying to just take a step back and enjoy this process because you only go through it once.”
Williams, a Vanderbilt signee, had a stat-heavy senior season for the Panthers, hitting a team-best .465 with a team-leading 33 hits, 33 runs, 33 stolen bases and 17 RBIs. He had eight doubles, four triples and four home runs.
Scouts like his strong arm and twitchy quickness, as well as his power and bat speed.
He was set to compete at the MLB Draft Combine June 22-27 at Chase Field in Phoenix. A total of 334 players were invited.
“It’s definitely been an awesome process and I’m excited, whether it is Vandy or the draft,” Williams said.
Williams said the combine is about measuring up.
“Being able to showcase myself with the best high school and college players in the country and see where I stack up,” he said.
Draft websites project Williams, who they label as a five-tool player, getting picked in the top 50 spots, which means his name would be called in the first two rounds.
JustBaseball.Com has him going at No. 29. ESPN has him as the 66th overall pick. Perfect Game projects him as the No. 99 pick.
MLB.com lists Williams as the 101st overall prospect.
The draft is 20 rounds with roughly 600 picks — about 30 per round.
“I don’t really know which teams like me the most, but I’ve been slotted anywhere from like rounds 1 to 3,” Williams said. “It’s going to be a really cool experience.”