CLEVELAND — Gavin Williams, the Cleveland Guardians‘ top pitching prospect, will make his major league debut on Wednesday with a start against the Oakland Athletics.
Williams, 23, has risen quickly through the Guardians organization, and the club feels it’s time to see how his electric fastball plays against the game’s best players. A first-round draft pick in 2021, he is ranked No. 36 on ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel’s updated list of top 50 prospects.
The Guardians, who are two games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central, announced Williams’ start before opening a three-game series against the A’s.
Williams has gone 4-2 with a 2.39 ERA this season at Double-A Akron (three starts) and Triple-A Columbus (nine starts). He has 81 strikeouts in 60 innings. Last season, Williams struck out 149 in 115 innings.
With starters Triston McKenzie (elbow) and Cal Quantrill (shoulder) on the injured list, the Guardians have an opportunity to get a look at Williams, who pitched in college at East Carolina.
Injuries have forced manager Terry Francona to plug holes in his starting staff and use rookies Tanner Bibee and Logan Allen more than expected.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.