Yankees Closer’s Bender Blowing Hot Air
Devin Williams is not really here. His reputation as one of the finest closers in the business was intact until the bearded wonder arrived in New York. When Williams was acquired in a well-received trade this offseason, it was felt that the Yankees had not only upgraded significantly from previous closer Clay Holmes but also reinforced the back end of the bullpen, pairing him up with Luke Weaver. The Air Bender had arrived. However, something happened to the pitch that made him famous. It has failed him to the tune of an 11.25 ERA.
This was not the pitcher that was practically impossible to hit. Devin Williams, in the past five years for the Milwaukee Brewers, held batters well below a .200 average with a great fastball and a changeup with so much movement it was nicknamed the Airbender after the famous animated television and movie The Last Airbender. However, the pitcher who many feel was the catalyst for the Yankees adjusting their facial policy, also senses that he is not adjusting well to New York. His first blown save in five appearances, which followed a four-run meltdown in his previous start against Tampa Bay, sparked ‘We want Weaver” chants. “There’s a lot of adjustments I’ve had to make; new stuff that’s going on,” Devin responded to a question about those chants, “At the end of the day I’m here to get outs, and I’m not doing that right now so it doesn't really matter.”
Why has it started slowly for Devin here? There are two theories out there. One is the Yankee analytics calling the pitches for the pitchers, which usually results in a particular pitch being featured. This has contributed to it being less of a surprise as batters view it more often and adjust accordingly. The second is Williams' control issues, which have been hard to decipher, but many point to the past when Devin would get ahead with his fastball, which set up his changeup. However, by featuring the changeup and falling behind in counts, the shutdown pitch is expected and not a surprise, leading to a lot of hard-hit balls from a once-elite closer.
The first month numbers are in, and they tell the story of a feared pitch losing its effect. Williams’ pitches are not bending anything, and they look as pedestrian as Marcus Stroman has been. It is early, and things can surely change. The question is now how long the Yankees will keep putting him out there in that role. The idea was to be able to go to two closers or mix and match to meet the moment. However, it may be necessary to pitch Williams in different spots until he has recovered his form. This is where Aaron Boone must read the room and make the adjustments, and not wait until the Yankees give away more games that they cannot afford to lose.
