Chris Williams: A Teammate Who's There to Encourage Everyone

[Theodore Tollefson]

Chris Williams is a part of the core players at Triple-A St. Paul who have spent their entire season with the Saints. In the midst of the team's playoff push, he's doing his part to focus on getting the Saints to Las Vegas for a championship rather than worrying about that call to the big leagues. 

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints

ST. PAUL – The Saints are in the midst of a playoff hunt right now. With three weeks left to go in the Triple-A regular season, they sit two-and-a-half games back of first place in the International League. 

One team has already clinched a spot for the first round of the division, the Norfolk Tides, the second spot is still up for grabs. That spot will be clinched by the team with the best record in the second half of the International League. 

The Durham Bulls are currently the team leading the International League in the second half with a 35-22 record.  The Saints sit at 32-25. With three weeks left in the International League season, that last playoff spot will come down to the wire. 

September baseball in Triple-A is anything but consistent. There are always many transactions for every team, shuffling players to and from the big leagues in the final full month of the season. 

This time last year, these players didn’t have anything else to look forward to. If they were at Triple-A their seasons just ended, but this year everyone is playing for something more. 

One player in the Saints clubhouse who is helping the team focus on that playoff spot is catcher, first baseman, and DH, Chris Williams. Williams is part of a core of players that have spent their entire season at Triple-A including Randy Dobnak, Patrick Murphy, Jair Camargo, and Elliot Soto among others. 

They’ve seen many players go through the revolving door of transactions to and from the majors this season. Even if someone has been here for a day or all season. Williams and his teammates have done their best to keep them included in the clubhouse culture. 

“It’s been a really fun year and fun summer,” Williams said. “All the guys here are awesome. We were just actually reflecting on it the other day, on the kind of year we’ve had. It’s been kind of weird and crazy with the revolving door Triple-A is, but for us core guys, it’s been good.” 

As many players have gone through that revolving door, there’s been one consistent focus for the guys who’ve been with St. Paul all year. 

“Something that I’ve really enjoyed this year is just how much we’ve just bought into going to Vegas. ‘It’ll be fun, let’s win a championship. That’s been the message all year,” said Williams. 

Saints manager Toby Gardenhire has been coaching Williams at every level of the minors since the Twins drafted him in 2018. 

“He’s a great team guy and a great guy to have in the clubhouse,” said Gardenhire. “Coming out of college he was a really good player, and he’s always been able to hit a lot of home runs. But the best part about Chris is he’s just such a good teammate.” 

Williams’s teammates can attest to that. He and Austin Martin quickly became friends following Martin’s trade to the Twins organization for Jose Berrios in 2021. 

“Everyone goes through their highs and lows, and I think everyone on this team has experienced both sides of it. Two people who inspire me by watching them play are Austin Martin and Michael Helman. They’ve both faced a lot of injuries and adversities, and they’re two people that always have a smile on their face and are always working hard,” said Williams. 

Martin has gone through many trials and tribulations himself in the minors over the last two years, but having a teammate like Williams has made getting through it all much easier. 

“For him to even say that, given he’s seen both sides of my it [career ups and downs] for me. It means a lot because it shows how consistent I am with my behaviors every day. I don’t try to ride the highs too much or dwell on the lows. I just try to be as consistent of a human being as I can,” Martin said. 

Williams has kept positive motivation and fun in the dugout and clubhouse all year. The Saints players pick their own player of the game prior to each start, hand-selected by the player who was the guy the day before. It doesn’t matter where they play on the field, but if that player isn’t getting recognition elsewhere, he’s at least receiving it in the Saints clubhouse. 

“It’s a team comradery thing to honor someone who showed up the best that night. We do a really good job here lifting people up and have a lot of fun out there. It helps to be in St. Paul with everything going on here [in the stands],” Williams said. 

Williams's name has come up often this season as a solution to the Twins' dearth of right-handed hitters on the roster. He still hasn’t had the chance to make his MLB debut at age 26 and next year he does plan to continue to play on for that chance. 

That call up to the big leagues hangs over every minor leaguer, but Williams knows he’s needed with the Saints here and now to help their chances to Vegas. It’s something Gardenhire admires in his players like Williams.

“Everybody in the clubhouse is in the same boat there. Everybody would love to go to the big leagues but if it doesn’t happen, what you got to do is work to be better so you can go to the big leagues. But here and now we’re lucky because we are in a playoff race, and it makes it a lot of fun. It’s a lot more fun being in a playoff race than it is just ending the season,” said Gardenhire. 

Williams, whose defensive versatility will be vital for the Saints playoff push, is always focusing on how he can help the team wherever he is on the field. He doesn’t find himself lost in the nuances of shuffling from left field to first base and behind the plate at catcher. His focus is on the here and now to get St. Paul to Vegas. 

“The big leagues are always on your mind. But the playoffs for Triple-A this year, It definitely keeps us grounded that we’re at Triple-A, so we should win here,” Williams said. 

Everything will come down to the wire for the Saints playoff push, and even as the revolving door of players continues to see players come and go before their regular season ends on September 24. Williams will do his part to keep himself and his teammates focused on the playoff push and making sure every Saint is recognized for the accolades on the field.

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[MMMordabito]

[FlyingFinn]

Great article! Certainly makes you cheer for these guys.

[old nurse]

Probably what is holding him back is the 33% k rate

[jorgenswest]

I appreciate the article. I look forward to seeing Williams get his chance in the majors. 

[DocBauer]

By all reports, Williams is a good catcher from the cerebral context of being one. There was a Saints game a month or so where he asked for a review TWICE and got the call. But he's a 3rd stringer who can play 1B and DH. Movement behind the plate, or arm, or both, he was moved from behind the plate in 2022, for the most part.

Honestly, now that Isola finally found power, even at a lower level, he might have surpassed Williams. But I would have dumped Gallo a month ago to bring up Williams as a 1B DH. It doesn't matter a RH bat vs a LH bat when the LH bat is completely anemic. He would have offered a POTENTIAL bat and even allowed Jeffers to DH a bit more.

He's got potential value. I'm just not sure about long term value. 

[Doctor Wu]

Thanks for a very interesting article. As a longtime baseball fan, it's hard not to root for guys like Chris Williams.