Matt Williams

Lore & Background

Williams played in a World Series for the San Francisco Giants (1989) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2001, winning over the New York Yankees), but he did not play in a World Series for the Cleveland Indians; he was traded to the Indians in 1996 and then to the Diamondbacks in 1998, before the Indians reached the World Series in 1997. He became the only player to hit at least one World Series home run for three different Major League teams. During his career, Williams had an overall batting average of .268, with 378 home runs and 1,218 RBI.

He scored 997 runs, and accumulated 1,878 hits, 338 doubles, and 35 triples, while playing in 1,866 regular-season games. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the first round (third overall) of the 1986 MLB draft. He earned four Gold Glove Awards between 1991 and 1997. In 1994, he hit a National League-best 43 home runs in 112 games.

He was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1996, and later to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998. He managed the Washington Nationals to a 96–66 record and an NL East title in 2014, winning NL Manager of the Year, and was fired in 2015. He later managed the Kia Tigers of the KBO League from 2020 to 2021.

Reader's Guide

Matt Williams is a former MLB third baseman known for his power hitting and Gold Glove defense. He played for the Giants, Indians, and Diamondbacks, hitting 378 career home runs. He managed the Washington Nationals (2014–2015) and the Kia Tigers (2020–2021). He served as third base coach for the Padres (2022–2023) and the Giants (2024–2025).