Fayetteville's Gavin Williams moving up as pitcher in Cleveland Guardians system
It didn’t take long for Gavin Williams to show off his pitching skills in Ohio.
Less than a year after becoming a first-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Williams is moving up in the Cleveland Guardians' organization.
After just nine minor league starts, the former Cape Fear High School and East Carolina right-handed pitcher is being promoted from High-A Lake County to Double-A Akron. The Guardians announced the move Monday night.
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Williams, 22, has a 2-1 record with a 1.40 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 45 innings. He is currently ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect in the Guardians' organization, according to MLB.com.
The Fayetteville native became the highest MLB Draft pick in Cumberland County history when he was selected in the first round with the No. 23 overall pick by Cleveland in 2021.
Tampa Bay took Williams in the 30th round of the 2017 draft out of high school.
He posted a 1.06 ERA with an 18-1 record in his final season with the Colts, but chose to head to ECU. An All-American and conference pitcher of the year for the Pirates, Williams had a 10-1 record in his final collegiate season.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville's Gavin Williams promoted by MLB's Cleveland Guardians
