It took the Yankees one day to make Devin Williams follow their preposterous policy

While New York Yankees fans have some things to be angsty about as the team begins spring camp this week, there's also plenty of reason for excitement — including the chance to get a first look at some of the big names acquired over the offseason.

One of those big names? Former Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Devin Williams, whom the team landed in a blockbuster trade back in December to be their new closer. Williams has been among baseball's most dominant pitchers over the last few years, pitching to a 1.66 ERA with a preposterous 221 strikeouts in 141 innings since the start of the 2022 season. Very conspicuous postseason blow-up aside, he's among the best watches in the sport, and while he's not Juan Soto, it's awfully cool to see him put on the pinstripes for the first time.

Of course, because this is Hal Steinbrenner's franchise we're talking about, nothing can ever be just a nice thing. While Yankees fans were welcoming Williams to the Bronx on Wednesday, they also were reminded of one of the teams silliest policies:

Williams' beard has been a mainstay throughout his MLB career. But while he still hadn't shaved when he first got to New York's spring training complex on Tuesday, someone apparently got in his ear before he actually took the field, because by Wednesday the beard was gone. And while we're not going to pretend like this is a life-or-death matter, it is a nice little reminder that Steinbrenner keeps on getting in his team's way.

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Devin Williams just the latest victim of Yankees' ridiculous facial hair policy

Again: it's just facial hair. It doesn't have anything to do with winning or losing, and it's not the reason why Soto decided to bolt across town to the New York Mets this winter. But that doesn't make it any less ridiculous to force grown men to conform to a dress code straight out of the 1950s, and it is worth noting that it's part of pattern that seems to have started costing the Yankees in recent years.

The simple fact is that New York isn't the destination for top talent that it used to be. The pinstripes still have some allure, sure, but while Steinbrenner is busy ducking the luxury tax and failing to connect with his players, his primary rivals — like, say, Steve Cohen — are rolling out the welcome mat for anyone they think will help their team win. When Soto talks about how the Mets made him feel like family, and we hear stories about how Steinbrenner isn't willing to reach out and be a welcoming presence both during the season and in free agency, it's a reminder of how stodgy things have become in the Bronx.

Williams is going to be a huge asset to the Yankees this season, beard or no beard. But if New York wants to stop falling behind its peers, something has to change.