Pirates' Alika Williams searching for more production at the plate

Since making his major-league debut July 25, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Alika Williams hasn’t produced eye-popping offensive numbers.

Through 21 games and 50 at-bats, Williams is slashing .200/.273/.240 with two doubles, no home runs and four RBIs.

By comparison, fellow rookie Nick Gonzales, the Pirates’ first-round draft pick in 2020, slashed .216/.268/.353 through his first 102 major league at-bats.

Gonzales’ lack of offensive production contributed to his Aug. 3 demotion to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Yet, the Pirates have faith that the 24-year-old Williams is capable of swinging a more potent bat than he’s shown.

Acquired by the Pirates from Tampa Bay at the start of June in a trade that sent reliever Robert Stephenson to the Rays, Williams promptly was assigned to the Indians.

With Indianapolis, Williams batted .305 in 36 games, hitting seven home runs with 20 RBIs.

“We saw him make significant strides, probably the best strides he’s made in the minor leagues, when he was in Triple-A this year with our group there,” manager Derek Shelton said. “Some of it is getting used to being in the big leagues and how you’re pitched (to) and that. The strides that he made before he got here were significant.

“We have to continue to work on it. In the major-league game, getting at-bats is the most important thing.”

In 952 career minor-league at-bats from 2021-23, Williams is a career .261 hitter.

Prior to joining the Indians, Williams was hitting .237 in 42 games with the Montgomery Biscuits, Tampa Bay’s Double-A affiliate.

During Wednesday’s series finale in New York against the Mets, Williams had an RBI single in the 8-3 Pirates loss.

He also knocked in a run last Sunday in the first game of the Pirates’ split doubleheader with Cincinnati, a 4-2 win.

As he continues to navigate the opening stages of his MLB career, Williams hopes to demonstrate his abilities at the plate in a more regular fashion.

“Obviously, it’s the (big leagues) and there’s a little bit of an adjustment period, just with stadiums and new pitching and stuff,” Williams said. “But I feel like I’m settling in slowly but surely. I’ve been working with (hitting coach) Andy (Haines) on some things.

“There’s a lot to work and improve on, but I’m playing as hard as I can trying to help the team win. That’s what it comes down to at the end of the day.”

Defensively, Williams has assumed the role of the Pirates’ primary shortstop.

With Oneil Cruz still recovering from a broken ankle, Gonzales down at Triple-A, Rodolfo Castro traded to Philadelphia and Tucupita Marcano lost for the year following ACL surgery, the Pirates have entrusted Williams with the lion’s share of starts at short since late July.

So far, Williams’ body of work at shortstop has impressed his manager.

“There’s guys that play shortstop, and there’s guys that are shortstops — he’s a shortstop,” Shelton said.

“ … I think when you go around the game and you look at guys that you want the ball hit to, that’s a guy you send out there and that’s the way Alika is.”

That said, Williams has not been perfect in the field.

During that first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, Williams committed an error in the top of the fifth inning that allowed the Reds’ Will Benson to reach base.

Soon thereafter, Benson stole second base and went on to score on a double by Matt McClain, handing Cincinnati a 2-0 lead.

However, Williams was able to redeem himself quickly in the bottom of the fifth, lifting a two-out RBI single into center field that got the Pirates, who came back to win, on the board.

Then, Monday night in New York, Williams made a diving stop on a grounder off the bat of Pete Alonso, preventing Francisco Lindor from scoring.

To date, Williams has made 16 starts at short. Through 146 2/3 innings, he’s committed two errors and has a fielding percentage of .957%.

Whether it’s at the plate or in the field, Williams is committed to making more of an impact.

“I think there’s a lot to work on still, but with (21) games under my belt, I think it’s been pretty solid,” Williams said. “But I think there is a long way to go still, both defensively and offensively. … I’m just playing as hard as I can every day and trying to help the team win in any way I can.”