The New York Mets, after a disappointing 2023 season that had them finish with a 75-87 record despite their record-setting offseason spending, are looking to come back with a vengeance in 2024. To that end, the Mets may have to enlist the help of a few of their youngsters, including 20-year old shortstop Jett Williams, who is looking to learn from the best (Francisco Lindor) in trying to make his dreams of debuting in the MLB in 2024 a reality.
Williams, in 2023, was a rapid mover across three minor-league levels. The Mets saw a ton of progress from the young shortstop, so they brought him up quickly to Low-A, High-A, and Double-A in a matter of months. While the 20-year old seems to have plateaued in AA, Williams has a huge opportunity in front of him not just to make the roster out of Spring Training, but to pick the brain of Lindor, someone who’s played shortstop in the MLB at an elite level for quite some time now.
“Just picking [Lindor’s] brain and what to expect from the clubhouse. It’s kind of surreal. I watched this guy play my whole life and I’m standing right beside him. We’re most likely going to be teammates one day. Probably rolling it up at some point,” Williams said, per Jonah Javad of WFAA.
Still, it appears as though Jett Williams has a long way to go before the Mets even consider bringing him up for consistent big-league plate appearances. Williams can train as a shortstop in the lower levels, with Francisco Lindor firmly entrenched as the Mets’ everyday player at the position for years to come.
Moreover, Williams put up a slash line of .227/.308/.273 in his cup of coffee at Double-A. Sure, he only had 26 plate appearances, but there doesn’t seem to be any particular reason for the Mets to rush his development, especially when Lindor and Jeff McNeil have the team’s middle infield positions covered.
But given how quickly Jett Williams has developed since the Mets drafted him with the 14th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft, expect Williams to do his best to force the issue for New York as they try to bounce back from a mediocre 2023 campaign.
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