The following story originally appeared on the website for W&M Athletics. – Ed.
William & Mary was featured on Forbes’ most recent list of 15 Top Colleges For Launching Your Career. It’s a strength of the university that Ben Williamson ’23 knows all too well.
Less than four years after graduating from William & Mary, the dependable glove man and high-contact hitter is in his second Major League Baseball season and on the cusp of playing in the World Series for the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays took down the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series to clinch a spot in the Fall Classic. They take on the Milwaukee Brewers in a best-of-seven championship series that kicks off Friday night at Milwaukee’s American Family Field. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m.
“Ben is a phenomenal example of the hard work and drive to succeed that so many of our William & Mary players have,” Tribe baseball coach Rob McCoy said. “His development as a big-league player included a stellar tenure here at Plumeri Park, and he’s been a wealth of support to our program during this next phase of his career. It goes without saying that we’re all huge Tampa Bay Rays fans because of Ben, and we’re rooting for them to win it all.”
Williamson, who graduated from William & Mary in 2023 with a CAA Player of the Year trophy and a Bachelor of Business Administration, started three of the six games in the ALCS. He produced two walks, two runs and one of the biggest highlights of the series with his glove at second base.
In Game 5, he robbed seven-time All-Star José Ramírez of a base hit by making a diving stab to his right and whipping a throw to nail the runner by a step at first base. It was such a spectacular fielding gem that ESPN’s SportsCenter tabbed it for its Top 10 plays of the day.
“You want to talk about great defense, keeping a guy like Ramírez and his speed (from getting on),” TNT color analyst Jeff Francoeur said on the broadcast. “Watch Williamson. Great play here. Watch how fast he gets up and throws it, knowing that he’s gotta be quick.”
Quick is Williamson’s forte. He wasted little time in reaching the pinnacle of his profession.
In 2025, Williamson became the 14th Tribe player to make it to the Major Leagues. He is on track to become the third player from W&M to compete in the World Series and first since Vic Raschi pitched for the New York Yankees in 1953.
Williamson will be the sixth William & Mary alumnus to play in the MLB Postseason, joining Raschi, who won six World Series titles with the Yankees, Bud Matheny, a World Series champion with the Yankees in 1943, Curtis Pride (2004 ALDS with the Angels), Brendan Harris (2009 ALDS with the Twins) and Bill Bray (2010 NLDS with the Reds).
Last year, Williamson helped the Mariners – the team that drafted him in 2023 – make the ALCS. In the offseason, the Rays acquired him via trade to set his trajectory for another year with an American League semifinalist.
Only this time, the Rays advanced to the World Series.
Williamson batted .327/.428/.504 with 19 home runs, 89 RBI, 35 doubles and 137 runs in his four seasons with the Tribe, and he was named first-team All-CAA in each of his final three campaigns at Plumeri Park.
Williamson reached Double-A Arkansas in his first full professional season in 2024 and ascended to the big-leagues the next year, recording a hit and run in his debut contest on April 15.
He accumulated 36 runs, 21 RBI and five stolen bases in his first taste of the Majors and then flashed more power and speed in his sophomore season this year with three dingers and eight steals in 88 games.
Williamson also filled in as a relief pitcher in a handful of games, posting a 3.60 ERA in five innings of work.
Williamson is another shining example of a William & Mary alumnus excelling at the top of his field only a short time after graduation.