Pirates Prospect Watch: Alika Williams Continues to Perform Since Trade

When the Pittsburgh Pirates traded reliever Robert Stephenson to the Tampa Bay Rays, it wasn’t necessarily a move that made a lot of headlines.

In return for Stephenson, the Pirates acquired infielder Alika Williams, not a top prospect but one that certainly comes with some pedigree. Williams was drafted in the first round by the Rays in 2020.

Since the Pirates acquired him, Williams has been playing at a high level with Triple-A Indianapolis, and that continued on Sunday.

Williams slugged another home run for the Indians to help boost his already strong showing with his new organization.

Two affiliates were rained out on Sunday, but two were still in action as the minor league season’s first half comes to a close.

Indianapolis (40-46)

SS Alika Williams

• Game stats: 1 for 4, one home run, one RBI, one run, one walk
• Season stats: .271/.355/.448, five doubles, four home runs, 12 RBIs, three steals, 27 games

2B Liover Peguero

• Game stats: 2 for 5, one RBI
• Season stats: .222/.333/.333, one triple, three RBIs, two steals, five games

In addition to Williams’ homer, Peguero collected a pair of hits, but Indianapolis lost 13-5 to the Memphis Redbirds.

Pirates prospect Vinny Capra went 2 for 3 while outfielder Ryan Vilade also had two hits.

Altoona (39-40)

POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN — MAKEUP AUG. 9

Greensboro (39-39)

CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER

Bradenton (45-35)

RHP Alessandro Ercolani

• Game stats: 5.0 innings, five hits, two runs, two walks, seven strikeouts
• Season stats: 4-4, 3.86 ERA, 25er/58.1ip, 54 hits, 27 walks, 58 strikeouts, 14 appearances/13 starts

LF Rodolfo Nolasco

• Game stats: 1 for 4, one home run, two RBIs, one run
• Season stats: .235/.366/.470, 14 doubles, 11 home runs, 41 RBIs, eight steals, 57 games

Thanks to Ercolani’s start and Nolasco’s homer, Bradenton wrapped up the first half with a 4-2 win over the Daytona Tortuga.

2022 first-rounder Termarr Johnson went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.