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2026 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile

Carson Williams got his first taste of the big leagues in 2025, but the transition proved rocky for the Rays' top prospect. After mashing 23 homers and stealing 22 bags in Triple-A Durham, Williams was called up for a 32-game cup of coffee. He struggled to catch up to major league pitching, slashing just .182/.240/.354 with a concerning 41.5% strikeout rate over 106 plate appearances. While he did show flashes of his signature power-speed blend with five home runs and two steals, his contact issues were glaring, resulting in a wRC+ of just 54. Defensively, he held his own at shortstop, but the bat clearly needed more refinement against advanced velocity and breaking stuff.

Entering 2026, Williams remains a high-variance dynasty asset and a late-round flier in redraft leagues. Projections like Steamer and ZiPS see him improving to a .210-.220 average with 15-20 homer potential over a partial season, acknowledging his immense raw tools but persistent swing-and-miss risk. He will likely compete for the starting shortstop job in spring training, but he may start the year back in Triple-A to gain confidence if the strikeouts persist. Fantasy managers should treat him as a bench stash with 20/20 upside if he can make enough contact to stay in the lineup, though the floor remains dangerously low.