Ronnie Williams (baseball)

Ronnie Ellis Williams (born January 6, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. He has previously played in the KBO League for the Kia Tigers. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.

Career
Williams attended American Senior High School in Miami, Florida, where he played baseball and went 8–2 with a 0.97 ERA as a senior.

St. Louis Cardinals
After his senior year, he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round with the 68th overall selection of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. He made his professional debut with the rookie–level Gulf Coast League Cardinals, posting a 4.71 ERA in 10 appearances. Williams spent the 2015 season with the rookie–level Johnson City Cardinals, making 12 starts and going 3–3 with a 3.70 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 56.0 innings of work. He split the 2016 season between the Low–A State College Spikes and Single–A Peoria Chiefs. In 13 total starts, he accumulated a 5–5 record and 3.40 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 82.0 innings pitched.

Williams returned to Peoria in 2017, making 36 appearances out of the bullpen but struggling to a 6.94 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 83.0 innings of work. In 2018, he pitched in 8 games for the High–A Palm Beach Cardinals and the Double–A Springfield Cardinals of the Texas League, registering a cumulative 3.45 ERA with 15 strikeouts it s in $15 2⁄3$ innings pitched. Unfortunately missed nearly all of the season with an elbow injury. He spent the 2019 season again split between Palm Beach and Springfield. In 44 relief outings, he logged a 5–5 record and 4.01 ERA with 58 strikeouts and 2 saves in $58 1⁄3$ innings pitched. Williams did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

San Francisco Giants
On December 10, 2020, Williams was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. He was assigned to the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Double-A Northeast to begin the 2021 season and was promoted to the Sacramento River Cats of the Triple-A West in early September. Over 29 games (five starts) between the two clubs, Williams went 6–4 with a 2.77 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 78 innings. Williams elected minor league free agency after the season on November 7, 2021.

Kia Tigers
On December 26, 2021, Williams signed with the Kia Tigers of the KBO League on a $300,000 contract that included a $100,000 signing bonus. In 10 games (9 starts) for the Tigers, he registered a 3–3 record and 5.89 ERA with 32 strikeouts in $44 1⁄3$ innings pitched. On June 29, 2022, Williams was released by Kia following the signing of Thomas Pannone.

San Francisco Giants (second stint)
On July 14, 2022, Williams signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants organization. He made 10 appearances (9 starts) for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, posting a 1-2 record and 7.64 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 33.0 innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 10.

Diablos Rojos del México
On May 2, 2023, Williams signed with the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League.