The Guardians selected Williams' contract from Triple-A Columbus ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday versus the Athletics.
Like Tanner Bibee and Logan Allen did before him this season, Williams will make the jump from the Triple-A rotation to the big-league pitching staff, though the 23-year-old right-hander arrives with even more fanfare than those other two prospects. Williams had established himself as one of the top pitchers in all of minor-league baseball in 2023 between stops at Columbus and Double-A Akron, accruing a 2.39 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 81:24 K:BB in 60.1 innings. The Guardians will be cognizant of managing Williams' workload as the season unfolds, but with a strong showing Wednesday, he should have a good chance at making multiple turns through the rotation even if Cleveland gets Cal Quantrill (shoulder) back from the injured list within the next week or two.