The New York Yankees thought they were getting a two-time All-Star closer in Devin Williams during their offseason trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. Thus far, the start to Williams' Yankees tenure has been an abject disaster.
This past Friday, Williams blew a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth inning, resulting in a 4-2 loss to the rival Toronto Blue Jays. Williams officially had an 11.25 ERA. With that latest meltdown, manager Aaron Boone didn't shut down the idea of demoting Williams from the closer role. Sure enough, it became official on Sunday, with Luke Weaver taking over the role.
Later on Sunday, Williams spoke with reporters about his struggles this season, and provided a brutally honest quote about his performance so far with the Yankees. Williams said that while it hurts to get the closer role taken away from him, "it wasn't undeserved."
Devin Williams shares what he plans to work on moving forward.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/0MwyDRDH6a
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 28, 2025
"With the way things have gone recently, it's not really a shock to me," said Williams. "Being the closer is a position you have to earn, and you have to keep earning it to continue to be in that role. Lately I haven't been doing that."
Devin Williams critical of his performance that led to demotion from Yankees' closer role
Williams has mentioned that he struggled early on in previous seasons, and said he got out of his slump and into midseason form by getting reps.
Besides the blown game against the Blue Jays on Apr. 25, there were other games he struggled. Williams contributed to a walk-off loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Apr. 6, gave up three earned runs in the ninth inning of the Yankees' 4-3 win against the Detroit Tigers on Apr. 9, and blew an 8-4 lead in the bottom of the ninth against the Tampa Bay Rays on Apr. 19, leading to a 10-8 extra innings loss.
With Williams out of the role, Weaver steps in as the closer. Weaver improved since joining the team in 2024 after splitting time between the St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, and Seattle Mariners. This season, Weaver has a 0.00 ERA, a 0.57 WHIP, 14 strikeouts, and five walks in 14.0 innings (12 games).
Williams hasn't stepped back on the mound since the Apr. 25 game. It will be interesting to see what inning Boone will have Williams step into upon his return. This week, the Yankees begin a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays.