Disappointing Yankees veteran on short leash to turn season around

The New York Yankees are 22-17 with a two-game lead over the second place Boston Red Sox in the AL East. Given all that transpired last offseason, it's hard to complain about such a start.

It was a chaotic winter for Brain Cashman and the Yankees front office. Several splashy additions were made in an effort to replace the outgoing Juan Soto. While Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger clearly aren't enough to replicate one of MLB's most explosive bats, Aaron Judge's historic productivity has kept the Yankees' offense afloat. The rotation, meanwhile, is holding up remarkably well sans Gerrit Cole, led by a Cy Young candidate in Max Fried and a refreshingly sharp Carlos Rodón.

Still, not every major addition has panned out. Perhaps the most celebrated behind Fried's signing was Devin Williams, brought over from the Milwaukee Brewers to anchor New York's bullpen. Williams has been one of the nastiest closers in baseball for years now, but his production has thus far suffered in pinstripes.

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Yankees need Devin Williams to keep turnaround going after brutal start to season

Devin Williams gave up three runs in 22 appearances and 21.2 innings for the Brewers last season. He got a late start due to injury, but ended the campaign with a 1.25 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, striking out 38 compared to only 11 walks. His whiff rate (40 percent) would have ranked third in MLB had he qualified, trailing only Mason Miller and Josh Hader.

That is the player New York traded for with high expectations. The Yankees even changed their facial hair policy to let Williams begin to (slowly) grow back that trademark beard. Perhaps it was the unfortunate shave or a lack of comfort in his new home, but Williams' 2025 campaign got off to a rocky start. Through 15 appearances and 12.2 innings, he's sitting at a 9.24 ERA and 1.89 WHIP, allowing as many earned runs (13) as hits.

Williams had completely lost command, but it cropped back up in last Tuesday's extra-innings victory over the San Diego Padres. Williams inherited a tied ballgame in the 10th. He stranded the bases loaded and set up a Yankees dub in the bottom of the frame. More importantly, Williams exuded a fiery confidence on the mound — a telltale sign that something is shifting in the right direction.

New York has already demoted Williams to lower-leverage spots for the time being, elevating Luke Weaver as the nominal closer. If Tuesday's outing was a step in the right direction, Williams has plenty of time to reclaim the mantle of closer and deliver on the promise of his reputation. If he falls back into a slump, however, the Yankees will be hard-pressed to find answers.

In the final year of his contract, this is do-or-die for Williams financially. He won't get much in free agency if his current trajectory holds. New York may even need to consider a trade, or a more drastic demotion within the bullpen, if Williams cannot build on his apparent course correction against San Diego.

New York's bullpen has been a real mixed bag to date, with Williams as the most glaring point of weakness. It was meant to be the opposite. There's no reason to believe the 30-year-old has lost his fastball, literally or metaphorically, but he's running out of time to get things on track.