Latest news with #NewYorkYankees'
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Yankees' Devin Williams dominant again after ugly start: 'I remember everything'
NEW YORK — On a roster which includes the iconic Aaron Judge, and fellow All-Stars Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Max Fried, perhaps the most pivotal player in the New York Yankees' pursuit of a 28th World Series championship just may be Devin Williams. After some rough patches, Williams, a two-time All-Star and 2020 NL Rookie of the Year, has been on a roll – reclaiming the closer spot, and in the process displaying the moxie which enticed the Bombers to acquire him from the Brewers in December. Williams started his Yankees career off poorly with a 9.00 ERA through his first 12 outings (10 earned runs in 10 innings), nothing like the 1.83 ERA he posted across his first 241 career games. He lost the Yankees' ninth-inning job temporarily, but has looked like himself in recent weeks, racking up 33 strikeouts to just four walks with a 1.90 ERA in his last 25 games, notching nine saves and five holds. Closing inherently forces you to face excruciating losses head on. But, contrary to the popular belief that the closer must possess a short memory, Williams digests each of his outings. 'I remember everything – good or bad,' Williams told USA TODAY Sports. 'It's being able to compartmentalize and move on from that more so than necessarily having a short memory.' It was a big adjustment moving from Milwaukee to starring on the brightest stage in New York. 'I think the outside noise can obviously be louder here,' said Williams. 'That's just New York in general. There (are) more opinions here, and if you feed into that, it can lock you up mentally. I think that's what the good ones do - they just block out everything.' And while there have been vocal detractors, fans and media alike, Williams seems mostly happy with the way he has been received, 'It's been good and bad, (but) for the most part it's been good,' said Williams. 'In person, people are very encouraging.' Williams said that encouragement has positively impacted his play. 'I always have a little bit of butterflies in every appearance until I get to the mound and throw my first warmup pitch, and then I'm good,' said Williams. 'They (the fans) bring a lot of energy and I feed off of that. I feel like internally I'm very amped up, but on the outside, it looks very calm, almost nonchalant, I guess. But yeah, definitely, I feed off the energy they have here.' Of late, the performances from the man dubbed 'The Airbender' because of his signature changeup, have provided the Yankees faithful with a myriad of reasons to supply additional energy. 'I'm extremely confident,' said Williams. 'I think it took a little bit of an adjustment period here – wanting to show what I can do, how I can help. I think I just tried to do a little too much and kind of lost who I was in the process. I've gotten back to that over the last two and a half months.' Yankees broadcaster Paul O'Neill noticed the change in Williams, and is bullish on the future of the 30-year-old St. Louis native. 'He's in a much better spot now than he was earlier in the year,' said O'Neill, who began his career in Cincinnati, before winning four World Series with the Yankees. 'There's always a transition coming to New York, but believe me, I think coming down the stretch here, he's going to be as good as ever.' Williams' dominance is linked to his primary pitches – the masterful changeup, which features an extremely high spin rate, and an effective fastball. His impressive arsenal of pitches, which also includes a cutter and sinker, has allowed Williams to post strikeout rates of around 40% during the past three full seasons. 'I didn't have very good numbers (against) him,' said Yankees teammate Paul Goldschmidt, who is 1-for-10 with six strikeouts against Williams. 'That changeup obviously is his calling card, but he throws 95 miles an hour too. He does a good job of keeping you off balance.' Goldschmidt called Williams 'a great teammate,' and the reliever has been thrilled to team up with the seven-time All-Star first baseman, as well as the rest of his Yankees teammates in New York. 'I am happy, I love New York City,' said Williams. Still, it may be one and done for Williams in New York. He will be an free agent after this season, and what his 2026 work address will be is anybody's guess. But while he is here, Williams will work hard to have his New York tenure remembered less for being the guy who busted the Yankees-imposed beard ban, and more for closing big games. 'I would love to be the guy to finish off the World Series; and bring another championship to New York' said Williams. 'That's the goal, right?'
NBC Sports
12-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Yankees' Aaron Judge makes three outstanding catches, robs Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong
NEW YORK — As Aaron Judge jumped above the wall and tumbled to the turf, Carlos Rodón worried. 'I'm like, `Pplease don't dive. Please stay on your feet,'' the New York Yankees pitcher said. 'Obviously, I wanted him to dive there and he made the play and I'm grateful he got up because that's a big body.' Judge made three outstanding catches in right field on Friday night, saving three runs in an 11-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs that extended the New York Yankees' winning streak to five following a six-game slide. Cody Bellinger hit a trio of two-run homers against his former team. A two-time MVP at age 33, Judge gets attention for his offense: a major league-best .354 average with 34 homers and 79 RBIs. His defense is just as striking. The 6-foot-7, 282-pound Judge leaped at the right-field wall to catch a 327-foot drive by Peter Crow-Armstrong against Rodón in the fourth inning, preventing would have been Crow-Armstrong's 26th home run. 'I think robbing a homer is probably the best, just to keep a run off the board,' Judge said. When Judge caught the ball, it was about 15 inches over the top of the wall. PCA waved an arm at him in frustration and acknowledgement. 'He knows we work hard for our hits and our homers,' Crow-Armstrong said. 'He's having an unbelievable year and that was me just being like, come on man, like you got to take them away too?' Judge's glove avoided the outstretched arms of a fan in a Yankees jersey, who reached over the fence with one hand but missed the ball. After the grab, Judge bowed his head and smiled. 'I've hit a couple fans already this year, so I tried to make sure I didn't get that one,' Judge said. Two pitches later, Judge rushed in and made a sliding backhand grab on Dansby Swanson's sinking liner for the third out of the inning. By the mound, Rodón held out his hands while shaking his head in amazement. With runners at the corners, two outs in the eighth and a full count, Judge sprinted to deny Kyle Tucker of an extra-base hit, catching the ball just before the right-field foul line and sliding on his chest across the warning track. His pinstripes were soiled with dirt when he got up. 'It's tough, but it's my job. I got a job to do out there. That's why they got me playing out there,' he said. 'If the ball's hit in your direction, you got to make a play.' Judge's catch caught Aaron Boone's attention. 'My first thought was a little nervous, just going over there and sliding on the dirt pretty hard, like making sure the big guy was OK,' the manager said. Judge doesn't think about sprained right big toe sustained when he ran into the Dodger Stadium fence on June 3, 2023, causing him to miss 42 games and hit far from his standard when he returned. 'That was kind of a freak thing,' Judge said. 'You can't let it hold me back.' He took time after his last catch to gain his composure. 'I felt like I was running a mile to get to that ball,' he said. 'I don't think I'm getting older but sometimes it feels like it after it catches like that.'
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yanks' Cody Bellinger hits 3rd home run of game against Cubs, an inning after being robbed
New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger (35) hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger reacts after lining out during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger hits a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger hits a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger (35) hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger reacts after lining out during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger hits a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger hits a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) NEW YORK (AP) — Robbed an inning earlier, Cody Bellinger wasn't sure his first three-homer game had been swiped away again. 'I didn't know at first,' he said. 'For that third one to finally get over feels pretty good.' Advertisement Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team and was denied a fourth by a spectacular catch, leading the Yankees to an 11-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. Aaron Judge made a trio of outstanding grabs in right field for the Yankees, who have won fifth straight games following a a six-game losing streak. Bellinger, whose dad Clay played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, is a two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP. He spent 2023 and '24 with the Cubs, hitting .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games last year while missing time because of a broken right rib. The Cubs traded him to New York in December with $52.5 million remaining on his contract and agreed to pay the Yankees $5 million. Advertisement He homered in a three-run third off Chris Flexen and in the fifth against Caleb Thielbar for this 18th multi-homer game. Bellinger nearly went deep in the seventh but was robbed by Kyle Tucker on a drive above the right-field wall. 'I was watching it. He timed it up perfect, so I was a little sick about it, honestly,' Bellinger said. 'But it was a good catch.' 'Boys were giving me a hard time after he robbed it. Boonie was giving me hard time,' Bellinger added. A four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, Tucker snatched the ball as a fan tried for it, the spectator clasping both sides of the outfielder's glove. Advertisement 'I caught the ball and he caught my glove, so I figured even if I dropped it they'd probably look at it and get it overturned," Tucker said. "I've probably had some encounters with me trying to go into the stands and catching a ball and me hitting someone's hand or whatever but I don't know if anyone's ever actually kind of caught my glove while doing it.' Bellinger homered in the eighth off Jordan Wicks, just above the red glove of leaping center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and into the dark glove of a kid in the front row. 'The fan just beat to the spot," Crow-Armstrong said. "He just had a better chance of catching it higher than I did.' Bellinger, who had rounded first, watched and then smiled when he saw he had hit No. 3. Advertisement 'Glad the fan caught it before PCA could grab it,' said Bellinger, who met the boy after and got the ball back. 'I've seen PCA rob so many homers. He's a freak athlete out there.' Bellinger is batting .406 over a career-high 16-game hitting streak, raising his average to .285 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs. He had spoken with his Cubs ex-teammates during batting practice. 'No, no, no revenge,' he said. 'Honestly, ultimately it was just fun to be out there. I saw a bunch of guys I hadn't seen in a while and I shared a bunch of good memories with them for these past two years.' Jazz Chisholm Jr. and manager Aaron Boone encouraged Bellinger to emerge from the dugout for a curtain call. Advertisement 'He was a little reluctant, but then the Bell-lin-ger' over the dugout got pretty loud. So I think he succumbed to it," Boone said. 'Belly's loved being here and loved playing here in a meaningful place to him, going back to his childhood." Bellinger turns 30 on Sunday and can opt out of the final season of his contract this fall. With long balls and wide smiles, he seems to have found a home in the Yankees clubhouse. He tried not to make much of getting the three homers against the Cubs, but Bellinger's teammates could sense the significance. 'It's always good to go against your old teammates that you spend a lot of time with, you know, you respect,' Boone said. 'To perform right away against them I'm sure probably is a little cherry on top for him.' ___ AP MLB:
12-07-2025
- Sport
Yankees' Aaron Judge makes 3 outstanding catches, robs Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong of home run
NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge made three outstanding catches in right field, robbing Pete Crow-Armstrong of a home run, Dansby Swanson of a single and Kyle Tucker of a two-run hit in the New York Yankees' 11-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. The 6-foot-7 Judge leaped at the right-field wall to catch a 327-foot drive by Crow-Armstrong against Carlos Rodón in the fourth inning, denying what would have been Crow-Armstrong's 26th home run. Judge's glove avoided the outstretched arms of a fan in a Yankees jersey, who reached over the wall with one hand but missed the ball. Crow-Armstrong waved his right arm in disgust. The two-time AL MVP bowed his head and smiled. Judge then rushed in and dove for a backhand grab on Swanson's sinking liner for the third out of the inning. With runners o the corners, two outs in the eighth and a full count, Judge sprinted to deny Tucker, catching the ball just before the right-field line and sliding chest down onto the warning track. Cody Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team.
Hamilton Spectator
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Yankees' Aaron Judge makes 3 outstanding catches, robs Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong of home run
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge made three outstanding catches in right field, robbing Pete Crow-Armstrong of a home run, Dansby Swanson of a single and Kyle Tucker of a two-run hit in the New York Yankees' game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. The 6-foot-7 Judge leaped at the right-field wall to catch a 327-foot drive by Crow-Armstrong against Carlos Rodón in the fourth inning, denying what would have been Crow-Armstrong's 26th home run. Judge's glove avoided the outstretched arms of a fan in a Yankees jersey, who reached over the wall with one hand but missed the ball. Crow-Armstrong waved his right arm in disgust. The two-time AL MVP bowed his head and smiled. Judge then rushed in and dove for a backhand grab on Swanson's sinking liner for the third out of the inning. With runners o the corners, two outs in the eighth and a full count, Judge sprinted to deny Tucker, catching the ball just before the right-field line and sliding chest down onto the warning track. Cody Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team. ___ AP MLB:
