Tampa Bay Rays' Carson Williams reacts after his two-run home run off St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Fernandez during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Rays prospect Carson Wiliams homers in his major league debut

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Carson Williams homered and went 2 for 4 with three RBIs in his major league debut, a day after the Tampa Bay Rays called up the former first-round pick.

“It’s every kid’s dream, and it just got even better,” Williams said in a televised postgame interview.

Williams delivered a 410-foot, two-run homer to center field in the seventh inning of the Rays’ 10-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. He also reached on an error in the second and beat out an infield single in the third.

The Rays called up Williams on Thursday and placed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim on the injured list with recurring back trouble. The 22-year-old Williams was the No. 28 overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and was rated one of the best defensive players in the minors.

“I’m just glad my family’s here and I’m glad they welcomed me so much here,” Williams said. “It’s just been an amazing day.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Tampa Bay Rays’ Carson Williams celebrates in the dugout after his two-run home run off St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Fernandez during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles