Brandon Williamson

Williamson was one of the key pieces acquired by the Reds from the Mariners in the Jesse Winker/Eugenio Suarez trade. The former second-round pick was coming off a dominant 2021 season in the minors which concluded at the Double-A level, setting himself up to be part of the Reds' 2022 rotation at some point. It didn't happen, though, as the left-hander showed regression across the board both in terms of numbers and stuff. His lack of control was particularly alarming, as he went from an 8.1 percent walk rate in 2021 to a 13.9 percent walk rate in 2022. Williamson was added to the 40-man roster over the offseason, and there should be starts available to him for the Reds if he can bounce back. Fantasy managers should take more of a wait-and-see approach, though.

While Williamson's fastball may not seem elite from a velocity standpoint (93 mph average, touches 97), it is a perfect pitch in every other sense. He is a 6-foot-6 lefty, so the pitch plays up just via extension and handedness, but it's the induced vertical break that makes the pitch such a monster. His fastball got whiffs at a 37% clip and was thrown for strikes at a 69% clip, rates that are up there with the best pitchers in the minors. Williamson also boasts one of the best curveballs in the minors, although that pitch is thrown in the mid-70s, so it lacks the velocity of the breaking balls that typically play as 70-grade pitches in the majors. His changeup and slider are average offerings. Williamson logged a 37.4 K% and an 8.1 BB% in 98.1 innings across High-A and Double-A. He has passed Emerson Hancock in the pecking order, and is right there with George Kirby and Matt Brash as one of Seattle's future rotation anchors. Williamson is not on the 40-man roster, but he could still make a handful of starts in the majors later this summer.