Dixon Williams Drafted by Braves in Fourth Round, Capping Star Career at ECU
A hometown standout is headed to the pros.
East Carolina second baseman Dixon Williams, a Greenville native and DH Conley product, was selected by the Atlanta Braves with the 136th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 MLB Draft. The compensatory-round selection carries a slot value of just over $539,000, and Williams is expected to sign and forgo his final season of college eligibility.
Williams has been a cornerstone of ECU’s lineup and infield since earning a starting role as a sophomore. In two full seasons as a Pirate, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound left-handed hitter posted a .299 career batting average, 23 home runs, 94 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases, while compiling a career OPS of .947. Known for his plus power, plus speed, and mature plate presence, Williams offered a rare combination of slugging and on-base ability from the middle infield.
He hit .308 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs in 2024 as a first-year starter, then elevated his game in 2025 with a .299 average, 14 homers, and a career-best 1.012 OPS. He also walked 49 times, compared to 47 strikeouts, continuing to impress scouts with his consistency and feel for the strike zone.
Defensively, Williams played multiple infield spots — including third base and shortstop — but spent the majority of his time at second base, where he’s expected to remain in the professional ranks. Though his arm strength is below average by MLB standards, his range, athleticism, and instincts allowed him to consistently make plays — often beyond what the position demands.
He also shined with a wood bat, boosting his draft stock with two standout summers in collegiate leagues. In 2023, he batted .349 for the Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken League. A year later, he crushed the ball for the Newport Gulls of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, hitting .390 with a 1.080 OPS, stealing 18 bases in 30 games, and proving he could translate his tools against top-tier arms.
Perhaps his signature moment in a Pirate uniform came in the 2024 Greenville Regional, when he launched a go-ahead home run off future MLB first-rounder Chase Burns — then with Wake Forest — to give ECU the lead in one of the most electric moments of his college career.
Now, Williams heads to an Atlanta Braves organization in need of impact bats, particularly at the minor league level. While their farm system has been ranked near the bottom league-wide, Williams’ hit tool, experience, and athletic upside could make him one of the system’s more intriguing infield additions.
His selection continues ECU’s long-standing tradition of producing professional talent under head coach Cliff Godwin — and gives Pirate fans another hometown hero to root for at the next level.