There is another Korean athlete in the Major Leagues. This time, it’s Pittsburgh shortstop Alyssa Williams (24).
Williams recently revealed her Korean heritage to Star News at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. “My mom is Korean,” she said.
A native of San Diego, California, USA, Williams was born to a Caucasian father and Korean mother. Like many American children, he grew up playing a variety of sports from an early age, including baseball and basketball, and showed an early talent for baseball, batting .374 in high school.
As a result, he was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 32nd round of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, but chose to attend Arizona State University (ASU) instead. The university is one of the most prestigious in college baseball,바카라 with alumni including Major League Baseball home run king Barry Bonds (59) and former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier (42).
Alicia Williams. /Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh’s public relations team
The team’s starting shortstop since her freshman year, Alika played in 55 games that year, batting .280 with an impressive 20 RBIs. Her sophomore year, 2019, was even better. She batted .333 with four home runs, 53 RBIs, and nine doubles. In 2020, his third year, he only played 17 games due to the pandemic. But his first and second years were enough to get him drafted by Tampa Bay in the extra first round (37th overall) of that year’s MLB First-Year Player Draft. His contract was worth $1.85 million at the time.
As is typical for a first-rounder, Williams skipped the Rookie League and started in Single-A after turning pro in 2021, and he made his way up to Triple-A that year, totaling 73 games with a .267 batting average, five home runs, and 46 RBIs.
Last year, his second year as a pro, he also bounced from Single-A to Triple-A, totaling 96 games with a .249 batting average, 19 home runs and 62 RBIs. After starting the year at Double-A, Williams was traded from Tampa Bay to Pittsburgh in early June. He was then assigned to Triple-A, where he batted .268 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs on the season before making his major league debut on June 26. It came just three seasons after turning pro.
When asked how he felt, Williams said, “It’s indescribable to realize something you’ve wanted to do since you were a little kid.” His major league debut was in his hometown of San Diego. His parents, siblings, and friends were at the stadium to congratulate him.
Williams at bat. /AFPBBNews=News1
His big league debut coincidentally came as a replacement for his former Pittsburgh teammate, Ji-Man Choi (32, now of San Diego). Williams came in to pinch-hit for Choi in the top of the seventh inning, and then came in to play shortstop when Choi was removed to start the bottom of the inning.
His first at-bat came in the top of the ninth inning with his team trailing 1-5. The pitcher he faced was Josh Hader (29-San Diego), the league’s best closer who can easily throw 100 mph. But Alvarez fought him to 11 pitches and got a walk, a testament to his grit and refusal to give up.
His first big league hit came against the Phillies on March 30, just four games after his debut. He was batting eighth and lined a single up the middle in the bottom of the fifth inning with the Phillies leading 6-4. Choi, who was playing with her at the time, congratulated her in the dugout with a seal clap.
Alyssa Williams. /Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh’s public relations team
“I first met Choi when I was in Triple-A after I was traded to Pittsburgh,” Williams said. “I was feeling a lot of pressure because I wasn’t hitting well, and she said, ‘Relax,’ and gave me a lot of advice from her own experience, which really helped me. Even when I didn’t get my first hit easily after making my debut in the major leagues, he told me a lot of good things,” he said.
“When I called my mom and told her he was coming to Triple-A for a rehab game, she said, ‘Get his autograph,'” he said. “She’s a big fan of his. It’s unfortunate that he was traded to San Diego not long after we met.”
Williams is a shortstop in the center of the infield, but he also has a talent for hitting. While he lacks power, he is praised for his ability to drive the ball. Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton, 53, also told local media, “He’s a shortstop, although he can play second base if the team needs him. We like his defense. He makes good contact,” and said that he was more excited about tomorrow than today. As of July 17, he was batting .200 (10-for-50) with four RBIs in 21 games.
“I’m just so happy and excited to be playing in the big leagues right now,” Williams said. “It doesn’t matter where I play defense or in the batting order. “It doesn’t matter where I’m playing or what order I’m batting, I just want to be a player that helps the team win, no matter what role I’m playing.