NEW YORK – Devin Williams jogged in from the bullpen on Tuesday night, the Yankee Stadium lights flickering above as he crossed the outfield grass. The right-hander has logged more than two dozen appearances as a Yankee, but this time, he was back to doing it as a closer. This was the scene the Yankees envisioned for ninth-inning leads when they acquired the two-time National League Reliever of the Year from the Brewers in December. With Luke Weaver mending a left hamstring strain and potentially out for four to six weeks, Williams has an opportunity to reclaim his title. Assigned to protect a two-run advantage, Williams wobbled in a 30-pitch frame that included two Guardians hits and a run. But the finish was ideal: Williams shaking hands with catcher J.C. Escarra, having induced a Bo Naylor flyout that sealed his club’s 11th win in 14 games. “That’s the job that they need me to do now, so I just try to do my best to help the team,” Williams said. “The runs count the same in the seventh or eighth, so I don’t view it as any different.” Oh, but it is. This spring, Williams beamed as he recounted a January encounter with Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, who sought out the newest Yankee backstage at a New Jersey autograph show. Rivera offered Williams a few nuggets of advice, but you really can’t prepare to be the Yankees’ closer – you just need to do it. |
And Williams seemed uncomfortable early. He voiced his discomfort with shaving his beard, prompting managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner to alter a grooming policy that dated to the 1970s. Even with his preferred look intact, the incoming hype about Williams’ excellent “Airbender” changeup didn’t materialize. Through 10 appearances, he was wearing a bloated 11.25 ERA, two losses and a blown save. Yankees manager Aaron Boone made a switch in late April, re-installing Weaver as closer while restoring Williams’ dented confidence in lower-leverage opportunities. Has it worked? He appears to have regained his footing. In 12 appearances since May 7, Williams has held opponents to three runs and eight hits across 11 innings (2.45 ERA), registering 16 strikeouts against two walks and one hit-by-pitch. Williams suggested growing familiarity might have something to do with it – not just with the Yankees, but even with navigating New York City. “I was still figuring it out at the beginning of the year,” Williams said. “It’s a big adjustment to make, just in life -- like, getting to the field every day. You’ve got to figure out, ‘What time do I need to leave?’ Things like that. So I'm in a good rhythm right now.” He’s hardly the first New York transplant to get stuck on the Major Deegan Expressway. Fortunately, Williams differs from most motorists in that he owns a fastball and changeup tandem, which Escarra says “both look the same out of the hand, and halfway to the catcher, that’s when it moves.” |
Statcast suggests this version of Williams is much different than the one who lost the job in April – even with the run he allowed to Cleveland on Tuesday. Williams is throwing more pitches in the strike zone (47.4% since May 7, 44.3% before) and getting more swings on pitches outside the zone (33.7% since May 7, 28.5% before). Since May 7, Williams has a .205 opponent batting average and .226 xBA; it was .283 and .253, respectively, before that. Boone said Williams is “dictating counts better.” Additionally, Williams’ changeup shows more depth, which he has said is crucial. Since May 7, Williams has averaged 3.9 inches of induced drop on the changeup; it was 2.5 inches earlier. (1.4 inches doesn’t sound like a lot, but when a pitch drops that late, it can mean the difference in generating a whiff.) “I’m putting pitches where I want to, putting myself in advantageous counts,” Williams said. “Just attacking guys.” |
Daniel Schneemann, who clipped a Williams changeup for a pinch-hit RBI single, said the pitch behaves like a left-handed slider. “It has a lot of horizontal and a lot of side angle, so when it comes from a righty like that, that's what makes it really good,” Schneemann said. “He located it well. Luckily, I got the barrel on it, but you have it in the back of your head that he's going to throw that, just because of how good it is. “You know it's his pitch. The approach is to try to eliminate it if you can. But it's such a good pitch; that's why you get swings and misses.” Now the Yankees need Williams to keep it up. Williams will have an extended run of ninth-inning assignments over the next several weeks, with others like Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill and Mark Leiter Jr. slotting in based on matchups and workload. It may not always be clean, but the vision awaits on the other end: If the Yankees can pair this version of Williams with a healthy Weaver, they’d have a dominant late-inning tandem for the second half and beyond. “He’ll be completely fine; he’ll continue to do his thing,” Weaver said. “We should all be very happy with him and the rest of our bullpen, and what they’ll be able to do.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
Rick Pitino stood on the field at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, scanning the iconic frieze. The Hall of Fame basketball coach seemed transported across 161st Street and some six decades, recalling time spent at the original House that Ruth Built. “I was probably 10 or 11, living in the Bronx off the Grand Concourse,” Pitino said. “With my two girl cousins, we would catch about eight day games a year. It was special -- I have so many great memories.” He rattled off the names of World Series champions: Clete Boyer, Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek, Hector Lopez, Johnny Blanchard – and, of course, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Currently heading the St. John’s University program, Pitino has seen and coached his share of great athletes. Yet even he marvels at what Aaron Judge is doing. “I’m not sure that Aaron Judge isn’t going to have the type of legacy that [Babe] Ruth and [Lou] Gehrig have had,” Pitino said. “He’s quite special. I don’t buy into anything about the postseason; he’ll have great postseasons as well. And I hope it’s this year.” Asked how the 6-foot-7 Judge might have fit into the St. John’s program, Pitino quipped: “He’s not quick enough laterally,” adding quickly, “No, he’d be awesome for us.” |
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Judge is hitting .389 through play on Wednesday. Which Yankee had the highest batting average through the team’s first 60 games of a season? (Minimum 150 plate appearances) A. Lou Gehrig B. Paul O’Neill C. Roger Peckinpaugh D. Babe Ruth |
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THIS DATE IN YANKEES HISTORY |
June 5, 2008: Jason Giambi hit a two-run, walk-off home run off Blue Jays closer B.J. Ryan, lifting the Yankees to a 9-8 victory at the original Yankee Stadium. The Yanks overcame a two-run deficit, all with two outs in the ninth inning. |
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B. O’Neill “The Warrior” was batting a robust .417 through the Yankees’ 60th game in 1994. He finished with a .359 batting average when play concluded in mid-August due to the players’ strike. |
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