“It is one game,” Williams said. “It’s over. So we have another game tomorrow. That’s all there is to it.”
Those were the words of Devin Williams after surrendering four runs in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, eventually leading to an extra-innings loss for the New York Yankees. The team's newly signed closer has been anything but sharp in his early outings this season, posting a 9.00 ERA over seven innings and giving up seven runs in the process.
Big deal — it’s the beginning of the season. No player starts off perfectly, especially not someone tasked with the toughest job in baseball: closing games. But Williams isn’t just closing for any team. He’s doing it for the Yankees, a franchise desperate to leave behind the ghosts of Juan Soto, Clay Holmes, and every other painful late-inning collapse.
Williams later admitted that his approach in the ninth, especially with his signature change-up, was far from ideal — a pitch that’s now drawing some scrutiny.
“Maybe I’m using it too much, to be honest,” he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “So we’ll work on that.”
You could take that response a few different ways. Maybe the pressure is getting to him more than he’d like to admit. The stage in New York is brighter — and less forgiving — than Milwaukee ever was. Most pitchers keep their adjustments close to the chest, not offer them up as a scouting report. But does Williams even have a point of attack right now?
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Devin Williams' approach to the media should have Yankees fans nervous
He’s already allowed 11 hits — one more than he gave up across 22 appearances during his injury-shortened 2024 season. Last year, he posted a 1.25 ERA and dropped his career mark to 1.83 across 241 games. In total, he’s given up just 56 runs in his career — eight of them have come in New York, making up nearly 14.3 percent. Last season, he allowed one run over eight innings to start the year. This season, he’s given up eight runs in the same stretch.
For a team trying to move on from the Clay Holmes era, Williams’ numbers are the complete opposite of what they hoped for. But maybe the issue isn’t just performance — it’s perception. Williams made headlines before even throwing a pitch, openly criticizing the Yankees' no facial hair rule. That rule was dropped after more than 50 years, thanks in large part to him.
Now, a few weeks in, it’s not just his approach on the mound that needs refining — it’s how he carries himself off it, too. The Yankees didn’t just invest in his arm. They bet on his mindset. And right now, both are off the mark.