New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams has not been the same All-Star, Reliever of the Year caliber pitcher since coming to the Bronx. Traded from the Milwaukee Brewers for starter Nestor Cortes Jr. and promising infield prospect Caleb Durbin, Williams’ expectations coming into the season were sky-high. So far, he has not only failed to live up to them, but he’s been more of a burden than a benefit on an otherwise elite Yankee bullpen. Though he struggled mightily through March and April, things have been much better for Williams as of late, and the Yankees ‘pen is dominating because of it.
Devin Williams’ Bounceback Helping Yankees Bullpen Dominate
Under the New York Lights
When star players arrive in New York, particularly with the Yankees, there’s always a high level of anticipation from fans and media alike. While some players shine under this sometimes immense pressure, some players crumble, and that seems to be what’s happening with Williams. His 13 earned runs are tied for the second-most that he’s given up in a single season, having surrendered 13 in 2022 and 15 in ’21. Though technically he has just a single blown save, there have been many games in which Williams’ performance led to a loss, or at least gave the opposing team a good chance of victory. As a result, manager Aaron Boone announced on April 27 that right-hander Luke Weaver would return to the closing role after he took it on last season when Clay Holmes relinquished the job.
Since then, Boone has been using Williams in a setup role, despite initially stating that he would pitch in lower-leverage situations. Other than a game against the San Diego Padres on May 5 when he gave up three runs, Williams hasn’t allowed a single earned run across those seven other innings. As a result, his ERA has gone down from 11.25 on April 25 to a much less concerning 7.31. His struggles stemmed from a lack of command with his fastball, which completely degraded the value of his infamously wicked changeup, leading to an influx of walks (11 over 16 innings). It appears now that he’s been able to take advantage of a less intense role and harness command of his fastball.
Impact on the Bullpen
Thanks to Williams’ adjustments, the Yankees now boast one of the best bullpens in the American League. Along with Fernando Cruz, the Yankees have one of the best 1-2-3 punches in their two setup men and closer in Weaver. The latter, who’s gone 5-for-6 in save opportunities as the closer this season, boasts an ERA of 0.44 and has 22 strikeouts over 20 1/3 innings. Though Boone has stated that Williams will eventually retake the role of closer, Weaver has been more than a worthy successor.
Thanks in particular to Weaver and Cruz, the Yankees have the eighth-best bullpen ERA in MLB, and the third most strikeouts from relievers behind the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. With Williams seemingly back on his feet and Jonathan Loaisiga back from the IL, this Yankee team appears to once again be back-ended by a tough, elite squad of relievers.
Devin Williams’ Future in the Bronx
If Williams continues to pitch as he has been over the past three weeks, the Yankees may have to consider re-signing him at the end of the season. New York typically doesn’t pay big money for top relief talent, being that one of their biggest strengths is finding diamonds in the rough to fill out their ‘pen. But if Williams resumes his role as one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, they may have no other choice than to pursue his services. But even if he doesn’t get back to the level he was at with Milwaukee, this year’s Yankee bullpen will be just fine and dominate the back half of games regardless.
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