Minor League Purge Claims Another Former Wolfpack Player

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Williamson has become the latest former NC State baseball player to be given his release as part of widspread cost-cutting moves throughout the minor leagues

More than 250 minor league baseball players have been given their releases over the past few days as part of a drastic cost-cutting measure brought about by the ongoing coronavirus  pandemic.

And another NC State alumnus is among them.

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Williamson joined previous purge casualties Preston Palmeiro and Will Gilbert when he received his pink slip from the World Series champion Washington Nationals on Wednedsay,

A 15th-round draft pick in 2016, Williamson went 4-1 with two saves and a 3.84 earned run average for the Hagerstown Suns of the Class A South Atlantic League last season. He played the previous season playing rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League.

Williamson's release is a disappointing setback to a career that saw him miss his first two professional seasons in 2016-17 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound New Jersey native had his best season with the Wolfpack during his junior season of 2016. He tied for the team lead with seven wins and led all starters with a 2.69 earned run average.

That season came took a painful detour, however, when he hurt his arm during an effective 7 2/3-inning performance against Clemson. Although Williamson pitched in four more games, he was eventually shut down to undergo surgery.

First baseman Palmeiro and left-handed pitcher Gilbert, both of whom were taken in the 2016 draft, were caught up in the first round of mass releases on May 31.

Palmeiro is the son of former Major League slugger Rafael Palmeiro. He is best remembered by Wolfpack fans for his walkoff 12th-inning "Little League home run" to beat Miami in the 2015 ACC tournament -- a play in which he frantically circled the bases on a double and two errors.

A seventh round pick of the Baltimore Orioles, Palmeiro advanced as high as high as the Double-A level, hitting .237 with five homers and 42 RBI for the Bowie Baysox of the Eastern League in 2019. Over his four-year professional career, he posted a .249 average with 35 home runs and 201 RBI in four professional season.  

Gilbert was an eighth round pick of the Oakland Athletics.

He was 14-8 with a 3.64 earned run average and two saves, 179 strikeouts in 103 appearances over four seasons, including the past two with the Stockton Ports of the Advanced Class A California League. 

 he left-handed reliever was 5-1 with a 4.30 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings last year.  

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