Port St. Lucy – Jet Williams looked back on his life away from baseball last season.
During the first summer he remembered, Williams (the Mets top position player prospect) was separated from the game he loved.
In June he received a TFCC record on his right wrist to repair damaged ligaments and cartilage. The next two months were accompanied by boring rehabilitation.
Lessons he learned?
“Find something you enjoy off the field too. You never know, so baseball can always be taken from you,” Williams said. “Don't always rely on baseball, baseball, baseball. Baseball is not going to define me as a person, so I just have other identities, so I'll try not to make it all types Please do so.”
A typical baseball grinder, Williams said he'll enjoy golf and spend time with his family.
However, baseball is the focus and is trying to achieve his goal of becoming a major leaguer.
His wrists are finally healthy and he returned to play for Double A Binghamton and Triple A Syracuse late last season before heading to the Arizona Fall League.
The 21-year-old infielder – who also plays center field to increase his versatility – is looking to leave another positive impression on Mets officials this spring.
Last year, at his first major league camp, 5-foot-6 Williams became a fast favorite of manager Carlos Mendoza and the coaching staff.
“He carried himself like a big leaguer,” Mendoza said. “He went through a lot last year and you see him in the clubhouse like he belongs here. I want to see him being himself – out there, Controls the strike zone and deals damage. He has good bat-to-ball skills, runs through the base and defends.”
Mendoza added that he saw Williams take the grounder on 2 base, but now he's interested in seeing his play center field.
Arrived as shortstop in the first round of the 2022 draft, Williams is the only Mets position player ranked in the top 100 in the MLB pipeline. Williams ranks 58th.
He received only 148 plate appearances in his short season, but Williams does not use the word “irritated” to describe his situation last year.
“I think everyone has to go through that,” Williams said. “I just say it's part of the process. Not everything goes your way, it depends on how you bounce back from it. You learn from yourself and on a daily basis, and on a daily basis, right You learn from what you need to do.”
Williams began showing his life later in the season with six games for Syracuse, and was brought into the Arizona Fall League, producing .764 OPS with 101 plate appearances.
“The fall league went well,” he said. “I think I was just trying to find myself again and make it normal. Back to that, big things were coming back and making sure my wrists were healthy.”
Williams' locker sits in the middle of the Mets' clubhouse room.
Luke Ritter occupies the locker to Williams' right. Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford have lockers from the same cluster on the other side.
Williams accepts it all.
“I think I was comfortable here last year,” he said. “Obviously you're coming to the new locker room with these big leaguers you saw on TV. I think they welcomed you and did an amazing job last year.
“You just go to show what type of team this is, you can come, you can join the team or not. You don't have to worry about anything. You just have to be there. Go out and play.”
