Mets prospect Jett Williams wants to reach majors in 2024: 'It’s the reason I come to the field'
Mets prospect Jett Williams tore through three levels of the minors this year, starting with High-A St. Lucie and winding up with Double-A Binghamton, where he is excelling in his age-19 season.
Williams' rise hasn't been totally surprising, but by making it all the way to Double-A at 19 years old, his ETA to the majors has moved up -- perhaps significantly.
He will almost certainly start next season with Binghamton, where he was promoted just over two weeks ago and is nearly five years younger than the average player in the Eastern League.
But Williams' goal for 2024 is to make it to the big leagues.
"I feel like it’ll be my No. 1 goal next year," Williams told Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. "Be a September call-up, if not earlier. I’m not really focusing on that too much.
"Obviously, you wake up every day, seeing that as a goal — I feel like every time I see that, it’s the reason I come to the field, work hard every day. Trying to check that goal off."
Added Williams about his 2023 campaign:
"I feel like I’ve had a really good season. Been through a lot of ups and downs. I never really freaked out, I would say, when not hitting at Low-A. … I didn’t really let that affect me.
"But this year’s gone pretty well. Just how I am, I feel like I could have done a lot better if I didn’t have the slow start. But sometimes I think you’ve got to fail in order to succeed."
Overall this season, Williams hit .263/.425/.451 with 13 homers, 22 doubles, eight triples, and 45 stolen bases during the regular season.
He especially punished the pitching while with High-A Brooklyn, slashing .299/.451/.567 in 36 games.
A natural shortstop, Williams also played 21 games in center field this season -- his possible home with the Mets since Francisco Lindor is entrenched at shortstop.
