Devin Williams Blows Save On Friday, Yankees Make Temporary Move At Closer
New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams allowed three runs on two hits in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He did not record an out and was tagged with his second loss of the season. The 30-year-old entered Friday's game in the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead. Williams was shaky right off the bat, allowing a leadoff single to George Springer, hitting Andres Gimenez with a pitch, and allowing a two-run double to Alejandro Kirk. He surrendered an RBI single to Addison Barger before being removed from the game. Williams was charged with his first blown save of the season and owns an 11.25 ERA, 2.38 WHIP, and eight strikeouts over eight innings. After the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked if Williams would remain the closer. "We'll see," Boone said when asked if Williams would benefit from moving to lower leverage situations. "We'll kind of talk through this stuff. This is raw right now. We want to do everything we can to get him right because we know how good he is and how valuable he is going to be from us." Williams has struggled and could benefit from temporarily being removed from the closer role until he gets things right. Luke Weaver would be the biggest beneficiary and handle ninth-inning duties until the Yankees are ready to return to Williams. Fantasy managers searching for saves should add Weaver in all league formats.
New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams pitched a clean inning on Thursday to earn a save in his team's 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The 30-year-old did not allow a hit or free pass and struck out none. It's Williams' fourth save of the season, as he's now down to an inflated 5.14 ERA and 1.86 WHIP with eight strikeouts in seven innings pitched. Though he's been a little shaky this season, the former second-round pick has pitched three straight hitless innings -- collecting three saves over the Yankees' prior four outings. It's mildly concerning that his strikeout rate has dropped nearly 20 points from a season ago, while his walk rate is elevated. However, Williams hasn't compiled an ERA higher than 2.50 since 2021, so he's likely to turn it around soon.
Devin Williams Notches Second Save Of Season Monday
New York Yankees closer Devin Williams picked up his second save of the season in Monday's 4-1 win over the Royals. Williams came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three. He allowed a leadoff single to Bobby Witt Jr., got the first out on a pop-out, allowed a walk, and got the final two outs on another pop-out and a line-out. Things have not gone smoothly for the 30-year-old in his first season with his new team, as he has converted both of his save opportunities but has a 7.20 ERA, seven strikeouts, and six walks in just five innings of work. Williams has been one of fantasy's most reliable relief pitchers throughout his career and was traded for to fill a closing void for the Yankees, so fantasy managers should remain patient with him early on.
Devin Williams To Return From Paternity List On Friday
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that closer Devin Williams will come off the paternity list on Friday for the team's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Williams will miss his third and final game in the series finale in the Bronx on Thursday against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, but he'll be available if a save situation arises on Friday. Right-hander Luke Weaver is the next man up for save situations for the Yankees with Williams away from the team temporarily, but he hasn't been used at all since Williams left the team. The 30-year-old Williams picked up a save in his first appearance with the Yankees last week against his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, but he did give up an earned run on two hits while striking out two. If he stays healthy, Williams could be one of the most productive closers in the league for fantasy managers.
The New York Yankees announced on Tuesday that they placed right-hander Devin Williams on the paternity list before their game in the Bronx against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. The team also signed right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino to a major-league contract and added him to the active roster. To clear space on the 40-man roster, right-hander JT Brubaker (rib) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Williams will be away from the Yankees for anywhere from one to three days, so act accordingly with your fantasy lineups. In the meantime, the best bet to fill in for a save chance for the Yankees will be right-hander Luke Weaver. To open his first year with the Yanks, Williams picked up a save on Opening Day last Thursday against his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, but he also allowed an earned run while walking one and striking out two.
Devin Williams Strikes Out Two, Records Save No. 1
New York Yankees closer Devin Williams notched his first save of the season, securing the team's 4-2 victory over the Brewers on Thursday. It wasn't without drama, however, as the first three batters got on base (two hits, one walk) in the ninth against the righty to load the bases with no outs in a 4-1 game. The 30-year-old yielded a sacrifice fly to the next batter, allowing one run to score, but proceeded to strike out the next two hitters to end the threat. Williams should have ample opportunities to save games for the Yankees this season, and with a career ERA of 1.83, WHIP of 1.02, and superb 27.6 percent K-BB%, the 2x All-Star is locked in as a Top 3 closer.
Right-handed closer Devin Williams and the New York Yankees agreed on a one-year, $8.6 million deal on Thursday to avoid salary arbitration, according to a source. The Yankees acquired Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason, and he will be their undisputed closer to begin the 2025 campaign. The 30-year-old did miss the entire first half of last season while recovering from back surgery, but when he returned, he was the same lights-out closer for the Brewers to finish the year. The former second-round pick by the Brewers in 2013 has been one of the most dominant closers in baseball the last three years, posting a combined 1.66 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 65 saves, 221 strikeouts and 69 walks in 141 relief innings. There may be some injury concerns surround Williams, but he's a no-doubt top-five fantasy closer with the Yankees.
Unsurprisingly, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that right-handed reliever Devin Williams will serve as the team's closer next season. This was fully expected when the Yankees acquired Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason. The 30-year-old two-time All-Star will have an even higher fantasy ceiling as an elite closer heading into 2025 now that he's in the Bronx. The former second-round pick by the Brewers in 2013 had a pristine 1.73 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 51 saves in 119 1/3 innings pitched for the Brewers in 2022 and 2023. He got a late start to the 2024 season after having back surgery and threw only 21 2/3 frames in the regular season, but he was lights-out again with a 1.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 14 saves and 38 strikeouts. Williams will be highly coveted as a top fantasy close. His arrival in the Bronx will push Luke Weaver into the eighth-inning setup role.
Former Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams said he was a bit surprised when he learned he was traded to the New York Yankees this offseason. However, Williams called it "a tremendous honor" to join the Yankees after he initially thought he'd be dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 30-year-old right-hander was sent to the Yankees in exchange for left-hander Nestor Cortes, second base prospect Caleb Durbin and cash considerations last weekend. Williams got a late start in 2024 while recovering from a back injury that required surgery, and although he only threw 21 2/3 innings in the regular season, he returned to lights-out form, posting a 1.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 38 strikeouts and 14 saves. The two-time All-Star should immediately take over closing duties from Luke Weaver in the Bronx and will have even more fantasy upside as an elite closing option in 2025.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the New York Yankees have traded for Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Devin Williams. In exchange, the Brewers are acquiring infield prospect Caleb Durbin and starting pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. Williams has operated as the closer in Milwaukee for the majority of the past three summers. Last season, he missed the opening four months of the campaign due to a back injury but returned to his elite form during the second half. Across 21 2/3 innings of work, the right-hander held a stellar 1.25 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP while tallying 14 saves. Under the hood, he generated an impressive 43.2% K rate and allowed hard contact at an excellent 32.4% rate. In addition, he also boasted a 2.11 xERA and .143 xBA. In 2023, Williams tallied a career-high 36 saves while carrying a 1.53 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Williams to operate as a bona fide ninth-inning option in the Bronx and be in a great position to lead the sport in saves pitching on a competing team. Durbin will likely compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster, following a successful Arizona Fall League showing, while Cortes should have a consistent spot in their rotation.
Devin Williams
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Yankees
