Have yourself a day, Luke Williams.
The Phillies second baseman hit a two-out, walk-off home run Wednesday evening, giving his team a 2-1 victory over the Braves. Williams is the first player in franchise history to hit a walk-off home run in his first big-league start.
“I don’t know if I’ll have words to describe that moment,” Williams said following the win. “It was pretty incredible, you know? I’m still trying to figure it all out.”
The victory stopped the Phillies from falling to 28-32, which would have matched their finishing record from the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Instead, it was the team’s third win in four games as they try to shake off a dispiriting start. It also gave Williams a memory that will last a lifetime.
“You can’t make this up,” Williams said. “It’s pretty incredible. It hasn’t been the easiest journey, but this is pretty awesome. It felt like a dream. It’s a pretty indescribable feeling. I just wanted to be here and help the team win.”
Williams, 24, has made headlines all week. He helped Team USA qualify for the Olympics on Saturday, hitting .444 and notching a double, a triple, a home run and six RBIs in four games. Williams will now put the Olympics on pause to help the Phillies resurrect their season.
Williams got his promotion to the majors on Monday. His first hit was Tuesday and his fourth inning double was the last Phillies’ hit before his walk-off dinger.
“This has always been something I’ve dreamed of,” Williams said in reference to his MLB career. “It just adds to this whole journey.”
According to Elias Sports, only five players in the last 20 years have hit a walk-off home run in their first start prior to Wednesday. Carlos Perez (Angels, 2015), Ben Francisco (Indians, 2007), Miguel Cabrera (Marlins, 2003), Esix Snead (Mets, 2002) and Josh Bard (Indians, 2002) were the most recent.
Williams now joins that list.
