Pirates Non-Roster Invitee May Surprise Again

Pirates Looking at Alika Williams. . . Again

Why He Just Might Make It

In evaluating whether the right-handed-hitting Williams, soon to turn 28, has a legitimate chance to go north with the club, consider the following. Despite a flurry of offseason moves, Pirates general manager did nothing to improve the left side of the infield. They’re giving 19-year-old Konnor Griffin, Major League Baseball’s No. 1 prospect, an opportunity to win the shortstop job. As there seem to be no satisfactory alternatives, the Pirates appear to be betting all their chips on Griffin.

But what if they decide that Griffin, who has yet to play above Double-A, needs more time in the minors? That leaves Nick Gonzales as the projected starting shortstop. Gonzales was a shortstop at New Mexico State when the Pirates drafted him in 2020. The Pirates moved him to second base immediately. In three major-league seasons, he’s played 30 games at shortstop, where he gets poor marks.

Some postulate that Gonzales or young Nick Yorke could be moved to third base, with the projected everyday third baseman, Jared Triolo, moving to shortstop. That’s hard to envision. Triolo has played 56 major league games at shortstop and could probably handle it, but he’s primarily a third baseman. Gonzales and Yorke have scant experience at third. An alignment that has either of them at third base and Triolo at shortstop would mean two players playing out of position.

Finally, Williams has surprised us before. He faced long odds of making the team in 2024. However, when the Pirates decided Gonzales needed to start the season at Indy, there was Williams on the Opening Day roster.

Hitting Hasn’t Translated Yet

The Pirates acquired Williams from the Rays on June 2, 2023, in exchange for right-handed relief pitcher Robert Stephenson. Williams was a first-round draft pick (37th overall) in the 2020 June Amateur Draft out of the Arizona State University baseball factory. In the Rays’ minor league system, he never hit well at the upper levels. He was hitting .237 at Double-A Montgomery when the Rays dealt him to the Pirates.

Williams hit better with the Pirates’ Triple-A team in Indianapolis, posting slash lines of .305/.384/.531 in 2023 and .311/.384/.396 in 2024. Those performances earned him promotions to the big time. However, in 83 games with Pittsburgh over 2023-24, he hit just .202/.257/.271. Primarily a shortstop, he also saw some action at second base. His defense was average but never an embarrassment. He spent all of 2025 with Indianapolis after being designated for assignment that February. There, he hit .268/.329/.393, 9 HR, and 42 RBI.

Meanwhile, in 2023, Stephenson pitched in 42 games for the Rays, posting a 2.35 ERA and 0.678 WHIP, helping them reach Treasure Island as they won 99 games and a postseason berth as a wild card. He departed the Rays for free agency after the season. Despite having Stephenson for just a few months, the Rays got the better of this trade. So far.

The Last Word

If Williams is on the Opening Day roster, Pirates fans are sure to go berserk. To them, he’d be a symbol of past failed acquisitions and offensive futility. There’s still plenty of time for Cherington to make more moves before the season. But as things stand now, next to the talented Griffin, Williams may be the best natural shortstop on the club. He may not fit as a regular, but he’d fit as a late defensive replacement. How much more run he’s given in the upcoming exhibitions will be telling.