Yankees Mason Williams in Home Stretch of Rehab

New York Yankees prospect Mason Williams played the outfield for the first time in 2016 during the High-A Tampa Yankees’ 5-3 loss to the Jupiter Hammerheads.

Mason Williams, a three-time top 100 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, has now played in seven rehab games for the Tampa Yankees and appears to be getting close to full strength. After six games as the designated hitter, Williams played centerfield for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in August of 2015.

Williams went 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored Monday and was removed after the fifth inning. He is now 7-for-28 during his rehab stint in Tampa, although at this stage the Yankees probably aren’t too concerned about his results at the plate.

One of the most gifted athletes in the Yankees’ system, the once-heralded Williams was on the verge of falling off the prospect map before a resurgent 2015 campaign. He hit rock bottom in 2014, hitting .223/.290/.304 (66 wRC+) in 563 PA during a disastrous season with Double-A Trenton. His performance was often sluggish and many questioned his desire and work ethic.

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Many of those doubts were erased during an electric start to the 2015 season. Williams jumped all the way from Double-A to the Bronx in just two months, forcing his way to the show by hitting .318/.397/.398 (133 wRC+) in 235 PA split between the Trenton and Scranton Wilkes-Barre. That performance reestablished him as one of the brightest young stars in the organization, and landed him 16th on MLB Pipeline’s list of top Yankees prospects prior to the season.

His debut season in New York was tragically cut short when he injured his right shoulder diving back to first base. He was placed on the disabled list on the end of June, attempted to rehab the injury, but finally elected to have surgery to repair the damage in early August.

On the bright side, Williams certainly looked MLB ready during his first go-round in the big leagues, going 6-for-21 and homering in his first game up. When he does get back to full strength this season, he could challenge the struggling Aaron Hicks for the role of fourth outfielder, or potentially take the place of right fielder Carlos Beltran if he’s traded at the deadline.

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With his plus speed and excellent defense at all three outfield positions, Williams doesn’t even need to hit to be a major asset for the Yankees this season, but if he continues to produce like he did last season, he could find himself back in New York’s lineup sooner rather than later.