Clemson has a good problem at catcher.
With the return of Chris Williams for his senior year, the Tigers have perhaps the best depth at the position of any team in the ACC and arguably the country.
Williams decided to return to Tigertown last summer despite being drafted in the 31st round by the Tampa Bay Rays. He missed most of the last six weeks of the season due to a shoulder injury that kept away from behind the plate and limited what he could do with a bat in his hand.
While Williams was out of the lineup, Kyle Wilkie, now a sophomore, developed into a dependable player both offensive and defensively behind the plate. He finished the year strong in the ACC and the NCAA Tournament, giving head coach Monte Lee a very good problem to have.
“We feel like we have a 1-A and a 1-B sort of speak at catcher,” the Clemson coach told The Clemson Insider. “Both of those guys can be every-day starters at catcher and we would feel really good about it.”
Despite his injury, Williams still finished second on the team in both home runs (14) and RBIs (51). He actually led the Tigers in both categories and was hitting right at .300 before injuring his shoulder with six weeks left in the regular season.
“Having Chris Williams back and healthy is huge for us,” Lee said. “Having that type of offensive threat behind the plate, who is also a very good defensive catcher, we feel really, really good about Chris.
“We also know Chris can slide over to first base and can play some first base if he needs a break, and is a plus-defender at first base.”
The problem Lee and his coaching staff will also have is how can they get both players in the lineup at the same time? Wilkie’s emergence at the plate in last year’s Super Regional and then following that up with a great fall, let Lee and his staff know they have to figure out a way to get both guys in the lineup at the same time.
“Kyle Wilkie had a monster fall for us. He hit well over .300 and improved significantly offensively,” Lee said. “Our hitting coach, Greg Starbuck, has done an amazing job helping Kyle improve as an offensive player.
“Both of those guys are going to catch for us, but it is going to be about trying to figure out how to get both of those guys in the lineup at the same time, and when we need to give one a break we can because they are both good enough to catch for us.”
–Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports