Devin Williams wants to add his name to the list of Yankees great closers.
The right-hander, acquired in a trade from Milwaukee last week, cited Mariano Rivera and Aroldis Chapman as examples of the “best of the best” who finished their games in the Bronx.
Williams was arguably the game's most dominant closer the past two seasons when healthy, but his brief pitching experience in October didn't go well.
He struggled in two of his three postseason appearances in 2023 and 2024, most notably in Game 3 of this year's wild-card round when the Mets clinched a decisive victory against Pete Alonso. That was when he allowed the game-winning home run.
“We all know how this year went,” Williams said of Alonso's home run on Tuesday's introductory Zoom call. “I wish things had turned out differently. I put myself in that situation every time. I never run away from that moment. I want the ball. I look forward to the next opportunity. I am.”
He also pointed to the fact that he only pitched three innings in the postseason.
“I've never had so many opportunities,” Williams said.
The Yankees plan to change things up and hope he resembles Rivera more than Chapman when he returns in October, acquiring him in exchange for Nestor Cortez and minor league infielder Caleb Durbin. Williams, 30, is currently scheduled to serve as the anchor. Behind the bullpen.
Williams said after the trade that he was looking forward to it.
The move from Milwaukee was not surprising, Williams said. I kind of expected it. ”
Instead, Williams, who was scheduled to become a free agent after this season, was traded to the Yankees. Asked about the possibility of an extension, he said: “If it's right for both parties, that's definitely an option.” Nothing is discussed. ”
Williams initially believed he would be sent to the Dodgers based on rumors he had heard before going to New York. There, he will showcase his dominant changeup — a pitch he helped perfect when he played against Trent Grisham in spring training in 2019. Brewers teammates.
Williams, who has always used his pitches effectively, said he switched from a two-seam to a four-seam for the first time in his at-bat against Grisham (current Yankees outfielder) in the spring.
“He said he could tell the difference in the spin,” Williams said.
Before the 2020 season, Williams used the coronavirus break to further hone his pitches.
“That became my outside pitch and my go-to,” Williams said. “I was still throwing 88-89 mph, but while I was going to live at-bats at home due to COVID-19, I realized that if I rotated it more and threw it slower, I could get more movement. I started noticing that I was pitching better.”
This adjustment allowed Williams to become a major weapon for the Brewers.
His strikeout rate has skyrocketed since the 2020 season, with a career-high 48.8 percent whiff rate on his changeup last season, according to Baseball Savant.
He was limited to 21 sq./₃ innings pitched last season, but no player who pitched more than 20 innings had a higher strikeout rate. And it came after three straight great seasons in Milwaukee.
It was this swing-and-miss element that appealed to the Yankees when pairing Williams with last season's breakout star Luke Weaver.
Williams pitched in just 22 games last season. He was sidelined for six weeks with a stress fracture in his back and missed the first half of the year.
He said Tuesday that he hasn't had any problems with his lower back since returning to competition in the middle of last year. He believes the added spotlight as a pitcher with the Yankees will benefit him.
Williams spent 10 days in the city after last season, visiting museums and restaurants.
His next stop will be in the stadium spotlight.
“I think it's going to be good for me,” Williams said. “I live on energy. I can feed my fans.”
And he hopes it will make the playoffs after last season's disappointment.
“The way my mind works, every failure I’ve ever had has stuck with me, but it doesn’t hold me back,” Williams said. “If anything, it keeps me going. Every time I fail, I want to get back on the mound.”
