Yankees Devin Williams' Strong Message After 'Subtle' Struggles This Season
Devin Williams had been one of the most dominant relief pitchers in baseball since the Milwaukee Brewers named him their closer in 2022. Williams finished 89 regular-season games between 2022 and 2024; in that span, he recorded 65 saves and a 1.66 ERA while striking out 221 batters over 141 innings.
But since a winter trade to the New York Yankees, Williams has struggled to replicate his lockdown form on the Junior Circuit. After allowing three runs in only two-thirds of an inning in a loss to the San Diego Padres on Monday, Williams sports a 10.03 ERA in 14 appearances this season, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone has already removed him from the closer's role.
After Williams surrendered three of the Padres' four eighth-inning runs at Yankee Stadium, the right-hander projected confidence to ESPN as he tries to get his season back on track.
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"I feel good, I feel confident on the mound," Williams said. "I felt like I was in a good spot. It's one of those nights where you're not only battling the hitter, I was battling the mound. But we're all given the same set of circumstances and I couldn't pull through tonight."
Williams entered Monday's game with the Yankees leading 3-0. After recording a strikeout to begin the eighth, Williams allowed two walks and a single before exiting the frame. Luke Weaver then surrendered two two-out hits as the Padres completed the comeback.
Williams shot to prominence on the strength of his changeup, known as "The Airbender." Yankees manager Aaron Boone isn't worried about Williams' best offering disappearing -- but as New York's record has fallen to 19-16, the former NL Rookie of the Year will have to rediscover what made him great in Milwaukee.
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"The biggest thing, again, is just command and being ahead and not putting guys on," Boone said about Williams' outing. "(The) stuff is there. Stuff's fine and I do believe he'll get on a roll and be lights out and dominant. But the command part of it, where the walks or getting behind in certain situations, have hurt him a little bit."
Related: Epic-Glasses-Tossing Spectacle Leads to Yankees' Devin Williams' Latest Meltdown
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