Yankees' Devin Williams Problem Only Gets Worse
The New York Yankees lost Juan Soto in the 2024-2025 offseason, and used that financial savings to replace him with several players. Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, Max Fried and closer Devin Williams.
Williams came to the Bronx after a long track record of dominance in Milwaukee; his ERA hasn't been above 2 in a season since 2021, with a 1.93 in 2022, 1.53 in 2023, and 1.25 in 21.2 innings in 2024. Undoubtedly one of the best relievers in baseball thanks to his devastating changeup, Williams was arguably the most highly sought-after closer this past offseason.
But through the first month of the season in New York, Williams has been bad, to put it mildly. And it got worse on Friday night.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) takes the ball from relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) during a pitching change during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on April 25, 2025. Photo: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
What Do Yankees Do With Devin Williams?
It started on April 9, when Williams allowed three runs on two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning against the Detroit Tigers. Relievers have bad outings, and it initially seemed like he'd rediscovered his form afterward. Five consecutive scoreless outings seemed to suggest things were moving in the right direction.
But on April 19, Williams faced the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida, entering in the bottom of the ninth with New York ahead 8-4. An error, walk, double, infield single, stolen base and a single later, and the score was tied 8-8. The Yankees wound up losing in extras, 10-8.
Some of that outing could be chalked up to bad luck, but on Friday, Williams made his first appearance after that meltdown. It wasn't much better.
Williams came in for the top of the ninth against the Toronto Blue Jays with the Yankees up 2-1. George Springer singled. Andres Gimenez was hit by a 2-2 fastball. Then Alejandro Kirk hit a 106mph, 387-foot double to give the Blue Jays the lead.
Williams left the game without recording an out, allowing three total runs thanks to another Toronto single.
In 2024? Williams had 15.78 strikeouts per nine innings, a 1.25 ERA, allowing just 10 hits in 21.2 innings and three total earned runs. In eight innings thus far in 2025, he's allowed 12 hits, 10 earned runs, seven walks and just eight strikeouts. His ERA sits at 11.25. If you add up his ERA's every season since his debut in 2019, it's 11.49. Combined.
What's happening? And what can the Yankees do about it?
Some of Williams' issues can be chalked up to random variance; his batting average on balls in play allowed is .429. The major league average is around .300, and Williams' career number is .270. That will improve with time. He's left just 42.9% of runners on base, compared to his career total of 78.5%.
Some of it comes down to control issues; his walk rate is a woeful 7.88 per nine innings. Williams has always walked more than his fair share of hitters, 4.40 per nine, but this is extreme even for him.
He's allowing much harder contact on average, with an exit velocity of 88.9 compared to 84.2 last season. While many of his pitch characteristics haven't changed, the results have. Batters hit .111 on his fastball last season. This year? .462. Some of that could be a slight decline in velocity, though that's not unexpected early in the season, and he hit 96mph on Friday.
The Yankees are just going to have to be patient; yes, Williams is having the worst stretch of his career. By far. But he will improve. The uncertainty, though, is by how much. And how many more games can the Yankees afford to lose, or risk, in the meantime. Manager Aaron Boone was already noncommittal about keeping Williams in the closer role moving forward. This is why acquiring relievers, even elite ones, is always extremely risky.