Mason Williams, a 21-year-old minor league prospect for the New York Yankees, was arrested early Thursday morning on DUI charges in Tampa, Florida. Williams, who is currently playing Single-A ball for the Tampa Yankees, was pulled over at 2:45 a.m. after police observed his 2012 Range Rover weaving through traffic lanes and speeding on Kennedy boulevard. He was clocked at approximately 50-53 mph in a 40 mph zone.
According to the Tampa police web site, a standard DUI traffic stop was conducted in which Williams displayed “clues of impairment”. He was transferred to the Central Breath Testing unit where he submitted a pair of breathalyzer tests which both were below Florida’s legal limit of .08. Williams was charged with a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence and booked at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office without incident. In Florida, driving under the influence is a second degree misdemeanor but Williams could potentially face jail time if found guilty.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had no comment on the situation but did confirm that Mason Williams had been arrested. The New York Yankees are looking into the matter further.
Before the season, Williams was rated as the Yankee’s #1 prospect and ranked as the #32 overall player according to Baseball America. He missed a good portion of the 2012 season after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder which he suffered while making a diving catch.