CLEVELAND -- Luke Williams grew up in Southern California and came through the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system while Gabe Kapler was their manager, so he was very familiar with the Giants' history and their recent success before this spring's roster moves. He was keeping an eye on them for more than those reasons, though.
"That was one thing that my dad and I would talk about, that the Giants would be a really good fit for me with the way they take advantage of versatility," Williams said last week. "It can really benefit my career and benefit the team as well, hopefully."
You don't have to scan Williams' profile long to see why the Giants traded for him last month. In 58 games with the Phillies last year, Williams saw time at every position but pitcher and catcher and played at least 25 innings at second, third, left and center. Williams became the first Phillies player to ever start at four different positions in his first four starts, going from center field to third to short to second.
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He is the type of player who jumps off the field for Farhan Zaidi, Scott Harris and Kapler, and his profile at the plate fits a recent Giants trend, too. Williams has a .646 career OPS in the minors, but Giants evaluators noted that he made consistently good swing decisions in the Phillies organization. That has been a hallmark of acquisitions, from the major success stories like Mike Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Darin Ruf, to the short-lived Giants like Connor Joe and Mike Tauchman.
The Giants target players who make good decisions at the plate. That part is hard to teach, but they believe -- and have shown -- that they can coax more production and power out of a hitter if he has that base.
Asked if the Giants had already started making tweaks to his swing, Williams smiled and said: "Day one."
"(Hitting coach Justin Viele) gave me a few adjustments from day one, it was pretty awesome," Williams said. "They had done their research and I think it's really going to benefit me to get some more balls elevated and take advantage of the field a little bit, the right-center gap."
Williams has just one big league homer, but he showed speed that is well above-average last season, ranking in the 92nd percentile of big leaguers. More balls in the gaps would mean more opportunities to show it off, particularly at Oracle Park.
Williams made his debut last Sunday, singling two batters after Heliot Ramos picked up his first hit. On Wednesday, his two-run double provided all the support Logan Webb needed. Asked what stood out about Williams when the Giants acquired him, Kapler ticked off a laundry list of traits the Giants seek.
"It's versatility, a history of managing good at-bats against left-handed pitching, and great teammate behavior," Kapler said. "It's grabbing onto the unselfish vibes that we have around here, embodying those."
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Kapler likes to play first base during workouts and batting practice drills and said one thing that stood out about Williams this spring was how accurate his throws are. That was on display Wednesday, when he cut down a runner at the plate, helping get Webb out of a jam.
With Evan Longoria sidelined, Williams has thus far only played third base. But the Giants have 11 games in 11 days on this road trip, and at some point, his versatility will be needed elsewhere. It's a big part of why the Giants brought him in, and Williams couldn't be happier that they did.
"I've loved it. Everybody has been so welcoming and made me feel so comfortable with this new organization," he said. "I can't wait to see what happens the rest of the year."
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