Editing Matt Williams (third baseman) (section)

==Professional career==
===Draft and minor leagues===
Williams was drafted by the [[San Francisco Giants]] in the first round (third overall) of the [[1986 Major League Baseball draft]].<ref name=":02" /> He made his professional debut that season, batting .240 with 14 doubles, four triples, eight home runs and 39 RBI in 72 games with the Low-A [[Everett Giants]] and [[Single-A]] [[Clinton Giants]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Matt Williams Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=willia004mat |access-date=January 1, 2025 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

===San Francisco Giants (1987–1996)===
Williams was recalled to the majors for the first time on April 11, 1987, serving as an injury replacement for [[José Uribe]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 11, 1987 |title=Baseball Central |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/04/11/Baseball-Central/5870545112000/ |access-date=January 1, 2025 |website=[[United Press International]] |language=en}}</ref> That day, he appeared in his first MLB game, going 1-for-3 in a 5–1 loss to the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]. Williams' first major league hit was an eighth-inning single off Dodgers pitcher [[Orel Hershiser]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 11, 1987 |title=San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers Box Score: April 11, 1987 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN198704110.shtml |access-date=January 1, 2025 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> He finished the season batting .188 with eight home runs and 21 RBI in 84 games. In the field, he primarily played shortstop while also playing some games at third base.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3">{{Cite web |title=Matt Williams Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willima04.shtml |access-date=June 28, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

Prior to the 1989 season, Williams was named as the starting third baseman for the Giants. However, he struggled to begin the season with a .130 batting average, and was optioned to the Triple-A [[Phoenix Firebirds]] after the Giants' game on May 1.<ref name=":02" /> Williams considered this demotion as a turning point in his career, as he batted .320 with 26 home runs and 61 RBI in 76 games before returning to San Francisco in July.<ref name=":02" /> In 84 games with the Giants, Williams hit .202, but managed to record 18 home runs and 50 RBI.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3" />

Williams enjoyed a breakout season in 1990, finishing with a .277 average, 33 home runs and a [[National League (baseball)|National League]]-leading 122 RBI en route to making the National League All-Star team.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3" />

Despite suffering from several leg injuries and some lower-back ailments, Williams was an excellent fielder at third base, and a dangerous and productive hitter. As a third baseman, Williams had good reflexes and excellent hands, with a quick release and strong, accurate arm. During his career, he earned four [[Gold Glove Award|Gold Glove Awards]], all between 1991 and 1997.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3" />

A hitter with exceptional power, Williams hit at least 30 home runs and recorded at least 90 RBI in four of his seasons with the Giants.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3" /> His best season was 1994 when he hit a National League-best 43 home runs and had 96 RBI in only 112 games as the Major League Baseball season was shortened by nearly one-third because of a season-ending [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|strike by Major League baseball players]].<ref name="baseball-reference.com3" /> He was on pace to challenge the single season home run record of 61, at the time held by [[Roger Maris]], with his 43 home runs in 115 games, projecting to 60.6 home runs at season's end. Williams finished second in the voting for the [[National League Most Valuable Player Award]] that year behind first baseman [[Jeff Bagwell]] of the [[Houston Astros]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Janey |title=Bagwell named NL MVP after strike-shortened season |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/bagwell-named-mvp-after-strike-shortened-season |access-date=January 1, 2025 |website=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]}}</ref>

===Cleveland Indians (1997)===
On November 13, 1996, Williams was traded to the [[Cleveland Indians]] along with a [[player to be named later]] ([[Trenidad Hubbard]]) in exchange for future NL MVP [[Jeff Kent]], [[Julián Tavárez]], [[José Vizcaíno]] and another player to be named later ([[Joe Roa]]).<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 14, 1996 |title=Giants Trade Matt Williams To Cleveland |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/nov/14/giants-trade-matt-williams-to-cleveland/ |access-date=January 1, 2025 |website=[[The Spokesman-Review]]}}</ref><ref name="baseball-reference.com3" />

In 1997, while Williams' streak of three straight All-Star selections ended, he still managed to hit .263 with 32 home runs and 105 RBI in 151 games.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3" /> He also won a Gold Glove and [[Silver Slugger Award]] for the first time since 1994.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3" /> In the 1997 postseason, Williams hit .288 with three doubles, two home runs, 8 RBI and 13 [[Base on balls|walks]], helping lead Cleveland to its second American League pennant in three years. The Indians ultimately lost the [[1997 World Series|World Series]] in seven games to the [[1997 Florida Marlins season|Florida Marlins]].<ref name="baseball-reference.com3" /> 

===Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–2003)===
[[Image:MattWilliamsThird.jpg|thumb|Williams (left) as third base coach with the Diamondbacks in 2011]]
After his divorce from his first wife Tracie, Williams requested and was granted a trade to the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] to be closer to his children. The trade sent Williams to Arizona in exchange for [[Travis Fryman]], [[Tom Martin (baseball)|Tom Martin]] and cash considerations.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |date=December 2, 1997 |title=Cleveland Indians Trade Third Baseman Matt Williams to Arizona Diamondbacks for Travis Fryman |url=https://apnews.com/article/8959037f5b24ef814b6ab3b60f86b00d |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526150918/https://apnews.com/article/8959037f5b24ef814b6ab3b60f86b00d |archive-date=May 26, 2021 |access-date=May 26, 2021 |work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Williams signed a five-year, $45 million extension with the Diamondbacks after the acquisition was completed.<ref name=":1" /> He was a member of the first Diamondbacks team during the club's inaugural season in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |title=1998 Arizona Diamondbacks Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/ARI/1998.shtml |access-date=August 14, 2020 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He shares the Diamondbacks record for the most RBI in one season with a total of 142 during 1999; the record was tied by [[Luis Gonzalez (outfielder, born 1967)|Luis Gonzalez]] in 2001, but has never been exceeded.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Player Batting Season & Career Stats Finder - Baseball |url=https://stathead.com/tiny/LqYzq |access-date=January 1, 2025 |website=[[Sports Reference|Stathead]] |language=en}}</ref>

Williams was a partial owner of the Diamondbacks, and carried the title of "Special Assistant to the General Partner". Williams occasionally also served as color commentator during Diamondbacks radio and television broadcasts,<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 9, 2007 |title=Franchise-best 151 D-backs games to be televised in 2007 |url=http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070209&content_id=1798724&vkey=pr_ari&fext=.jsp&c_id=ari |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927045743/http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070209&content_id=1798724&vkey=pr_ari&fext=.jsp&c_id=ari |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |access-date=March 6, 2009 |website=[[Arizona Diamondbacks]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> and also assisted in coaching and with player personnel matters.{{citation needed|date=November 2018}}