Mitch Williams
Born: 11/17/1964 in Santa Ana, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1986-04-09 | Final Game: 1997-05-10
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 180 lbs
Full name: Mitchell Steven Williams
Biography
Mitch Williams, born in 1964, was an accomplished pitcher who made a notable impact in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 1997. Known for his intense delivery and competitive spirit, Williams finished his career with a record of 45-58 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.65. Over the course of his tenure, he accumulated 660 strikeouts and recorded 192 saves, showcasing his ability to excel in high-pressure situations, particularly as a closer. His unique pitching style and fiery persona on the mound earned him the nickname "Wild Thing," making him a memorable figure in the game.
Williams was selected as an All-Star during his career, reflecting his status as one of the premier relievers of his time. He played in an era that was characterized by the emergence of power hitters and the increasing importance of specialized relief pitching. His contributions were particularly significant in the postseason, where he played a key role in helping teams secure victories. Despite finishing his career with a modest win-loss record, Williams' ability to close games and his striking strikeout rate solidified his legacy as a formidable presence in the late innings of ballgames.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 58 | 619 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 192 | 691.3 | 537 | 280 | 49 | 544 | 660 | 3.65 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | TEX | AL | 8 | 6 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 98.0 | 69 | 39 | 79 | 90 | 3.58 | -1944.8 |
| 1987 | TEX | AL | 8 | 6 | 85 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 108.7 | 63 | 39 | 94 | 129 | 3.23 | -189.8 |
| 1988 | TEX | AL | 2 | 7 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 68.0 | 48 | 35 | 47 | 61 | 4.63 | -593.3 |
| 1989 | CHC | NL | 4 | 4 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 81.7 | 71 | 25 | 52 | 67 | 2.76 | - |
| 1990 | CHC | NL | 1 | 8 | 59 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 66.3 | 60 | 29 | 50 | 55 | 3.93 | - |
| 1991 | PHI | NL | 12 | 5 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 88.3 | 56 | 23 | 62 | 84 | 2.34 | -19.4 |
| 1992 | PHI | NL | 5 | 8 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 81.0 | 69 | 34 | 64 | 74 | 3.78 | -916.3 |
| 1993 | PHI | NL | 3 | 7 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 62.0 | 56 | 23 | 44 | 60 | 3.34 | 444.1 |
| 1994 | HOU | NL | 1 | 4 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 20.0 | 21 | 17 | 24 | 21 | 7.65 | -1440.6 |
| 1995 | LAA | AL | 1 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.7 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 9 | 6.75 | - |
| 1997 | KCR | AL | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10.80 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 619 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.188 | 0.235 | 0.375 | 0.610 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | TEX | AL | 80 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1987 | TEX | AL | 85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1988 | TEX | AL | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1989 | CHC | NL | 76 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.200 | 0.0 |
| 1990 | CHC | NL | 59 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1991 | PHI | NL | 69 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1992 | PHI | NL | 66 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1993 | PHI | NL | 65 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.0 |
| 1994 | HOU | NL | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1995 | LAA | AL | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1997 | KCR | AL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | WS | PHI | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1993 | NLCS | PHI | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1989 | NLCS | CHN | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 9.0 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7.00 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | NLCS | PHI | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5.3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1.69 |
| 1993 | WS | PHI | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2.7 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 20.25 |
| 1989 | NLCS | CHN | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 619 | 3 | 14 | 75 | 17 | 4 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | TEX | P | 80 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| 1987 | TEX | P | 85 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 3 |
| 1988 | TEX | P | 67 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 1989 | CHN | P | 76 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 1990 | CHN | P | 59 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | PHI | P | 69 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| 1992 | PHI | P | 66 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 1993 | PHI | P | 65 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1994 | HOU | P | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | CAL | P | 20 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | KCA | P | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 619 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Pitcher of the Month | August |
| 1991 | Player of the Week | Week of 1991-08-10 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | HOU | NL | $2,500,000 |
| 1993 | PHI | NL | $3,500,000 |
| 1992 | PHI | NL | $3,200,000 |
| 1991 | PHI | NL | $1,500,000 |
| 1990 | CHN | NL | $1,125,000 |
| 1989 | CHN | NL | $377,500 |
| 1988 | TEX | AL | $200,000 |
| 1986 | TEX | AL | $60,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $12,462,500 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Cy Young Award | NL | 6th | 1.0 | 120 | 0 |
| 1989 | Cy Young Award | NL | 9th | 1.0 | 120 | 0 |
| 1989 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 10th | 41.0 | 336 | 0 |