Air and opportunity.
For some players, that’s all they need. They’ll take care of the rest.
Tate Williams is that type of gamer, a 2025 grad class catcher who has made his most of his chances with the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series as he strives towards earning a college commitment.
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⚾ San Antonio Scout Day Player Video
⚾ MLB DRAFT: 2025 Top 100 Prospects
Listed at six-foot and 155 pounds this summer while still working to add some size, the Lobos backstop has been under the radar in many ways, but has seen an uptick in interest and performance over the last summer, a big one with the Future Stars Series in which he earned his way to the Underclass Elite event after a strong showing both behind the dish and with the bat in Nashville at the Underclass Combine.
“My experience with the Future Stars Series has just been amazing,” Williams told FSS Plus. “From the standpoint of everything coaches me to me taking in all I can, just playing as hard as possible to get my name seen and in colleges ears and MLB teams too.”
As a Texas native, it can often be difficult to stand out in a state that historically produces such a significant amount of talent every year. But, even continuing that process with his recent appearance at the San Antonio Scout Day, Williams has put his nose to the grindstone to make sure that he’s not left behind.
Tate Williams, C (2025) – Brandeis HS
He had a strong showing at the Underclass Combine this summer. Watch him in action at the Underclass Elite Oct. 6-8.
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“To stand out, I’m not the biggest guy you’re going to see pop up with big numbers on these combines and stuff, you have to see me play to know that I can play,” he said. “So, for me, it’s playing hard and doing what I do. Then it’s posting on social media, and the Future Stars Series helps me a lot with getting film, so I can keep getting my name out there. Online recruiting is big now, so I have to, I guess, annoy everyone about my name so they remember me.”
Williams most recent scouting report, which comes from the Underclass Elite, is glowing. It’s one that points out his 1.94 pop time, still-developing tools and frame and exceptional makeup. In part, it reads, “Upside is huge. Premium position with some avg to above avg tools now. Still 2 years to develop for his draft year. Gonna have them stirred up for sure. Great makeup. Loves to play and it shows…Progress has been fun to watch. Would be high priority for me in ’25 as an area guy. Chance for 5 tool catcher here. Not too many profile out like this.”
Unlocking the projectability in that frame, however, remains key to the rest taking care of itself. Even with some gains made where he’s now at six-foot-one and 170 pounds, he still knows that.
“Honestly, right now, my whole off-season has been in the weight room and getting as strong as possible,” he said. “Eating good, taking the best nutrition I can to just get bigger. That’s pretty much it. I’m not the biggest guy, but I want to help my frame out, and hit the weights a lot. But, I like how athletic I am back (behind the plate) and some of the bigger guys can’t move as much as I can. Most of my pop time is because I’m real quick, so it’s putting on that lean muscle and getting stronger over just getting more mass.”
An outdoors enthusiast, Williams is also lauded for his baseball IQ, something he says in part comes from his time with the Lobos, but also just being a “student of the game” with his father having been drafted by the Houston Astros.
“That benefits me a lot just in knowing what to do in certain situations,” Williams said. “He got hurt and wasn’t able to play, so for me, I’d like to excel where he couldn’t. It’s a big responsibility for me to show how good we are.”
It was at the Underclass Elite event where Williams truly got a taste of what that might be like, getting to set foot on and play in Dunkin Donuts Park and Delta Dental Stadium, two of the top minor-league facilities in the country.
“That was amazing,” he said. “I loved the big decks, looking up and just seeing stands as high as you can seem it was amazing. Walking into Hartford, at first, was just so surreal. I couldn’t believe that I was there. It shows that the hard work you’ve been doing pays off, and that was an amazing experience.”
First, however, it’ll be college ball, and Williams remains uncommitted.
“Honestly, it’s anywhere that I can get playing time right now,” he said. “I know the (transfer) portal is big right now, and I don’t want that to mess with anything, so I’m open to going anywhere that wants to offer me; I’m open to go south, north, east, west. Anywhere. I just want to play baseball somewhere.”
A versatile player who can also handle himself in the outfield, he’s hopeful that his unique skillset, as well as what he can bring to the table off the field, will make him an appealing option to a program that will let him show what he can do.
“I think that will help me a ton,” he said. “I can run, and most catchers really don’t run. Most guys get catches for the defense, they don’t care if they bat a buck-sixty, but I feel like I can bring a lot in those aspects, and I can help a team out anywhere in the lineup.”
The hard work doesn’t stop, however. It can’t. This is a big summer for Williams as he strives to try to stay on the radar, and he’s committed to doing what it takes to get the job done.
“Just do what I do and stay consistent,” he said. “A lot of these college coaches are looking for consistency, and I think that if I stay on the path that I’m on now and just work hard and play hard, those are the two biggest things that’ll get me as far as I want. I know I have the ability, I just want to be able to show that.”
