Clearwater, Fla. — The Yankees first saw the Airbender in Game Action on Tuesday and liked what they saw from their new nearby Devin Williams.
Now that the team's facial hair ban has been lifted, he not only has the maximum whiskers, but Williams also looked like his old self on the pitch of his signature.
The at-bat that stood out against Aaron Boone was JT Realmuto's fourth strikeout when Williams threw nothing but his famous changeup to the Phillies catcher, swinging in the second of his 12-3 victory at Bay Care Ballpark.
“It was fun to look at it and see the discipline of getting him to lift the ball a little,” Boone said. “He fired some good stuff and moved it well.”
Arrived from the brewer in a trade that sent Nestle Cortes to Milwaukee, Williams became one of the best bailiffs in the game, mainly behind that one pitch.
“It's a great pitch,” Wells said. “That's what makes him so good. …I'm just doing something different every time, and it's hard to pick up at the angle of my arm.”
And while it sounds like a difficult pitch to catch, Wells said, “At least I know the pitch is coming.”
According to baseball's Savant, Williams threw a 45% change from 58% in 2023 to a 45% change from the time a year ago.
He throws it on six of his 12 pitches with Philadelphia, and also mixes with a mid-'90s fastball, along with a cutter he's tried to add to his mix in the past.
Cutter was fouled by Kyle Schwarber, as Williams said he allowed him to “steal the strike.”
The right-hander threw only six cutters a year ago and said he intends to use more this season, but he added that it's his plans in the past, but he doesn't follow.
Still, the reason the Yankees traded for him and put him behind the bullpen is a changeup.
His best pitch of the day was the fifth airbender he threw to Realmuto, which led to him burning for his third strike.
But Williams said he doesn't need that proof to know that his pitch is working.
“You don't need that swing to know that,” Williams said. “If that feels right, I usually know and the computer says it's doing what it should be done.”
Still, seeing it effective in the game is encouraging and further proves he is doing what he wants with just a little over three weeks left before the opening day.
“It's in a good place, but the game speeds up and is faster than live BP or the bullpen,” Williams said. “I played around with it a bit today and it felt good about it. …I ran with it and hit the ground.”
