The time is up for right-handed pitcher Devin Williams right now as the New York Yankees’ closer. The job will go to Luke Weaver, who was previously the closer, including the postseason.
New York Yankees Manager Aaron Boone decided to demote Williams after his bad game on April 25th against the Toronto Blue Jays.
In that game, with the Yankees ahead, 2-1, in the ninth inning, Williams instantly allowed three earned runs on two hits and a hit-by-pitch, and didn’t record an out.
The Bombers ended up losing the game 4-2.
The Yankees gave up Nestor Cortes, a two-time All-Star in 2022, and infielder Caleb Durbin from Triple-A.
Cortes made 30 starts last season with the Bombers and finished 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA. In 82 games, Durbin batted .287 and had a .867 OPS, with 29 stolen bases.
If Williams wants to be the Yankees’ closer once again, he must earn it back by continuing to get three quick outs as a setup pitcher to regain his confidence.
The Yankees’ management had seen that the 30-year-old had been behind in his pitch counts for the majority of the month of April.
Williams has all the tools necessary to get through this troubling time. The veteran pitcher must show favorable pitched innings to earn the trust back of the Yankees’ management.
Once the Yankees feel he’s confident enough to come out of the bullpen in the ninth inning, then a tough decision will have to be made.
For right now, though, it’s Luke Weaver’s job to lose.
Weaver did amazing at the end of last year, replacing Clay Holmes as the closer. His success carried him into the Yankees’ run to the World Series.
This season, he’s looking more like the closer than the setup guy. He’s been mowing guys down 1-2-3 in the eighth inning and has mostly been ahead in the counts.
On the contrary, Williams has been missing on his “airbender” changeup pitches and mostly falling behind in his counts. He also tends to walk batters when losing his confidence late in the game.
Now that Weaver is back in his closer role, Yankees fans can hear the song “Dream Weaver” being played over the PA when he walks onto the mound from the pen in the ninth inning.
Yankees fans who feel nostalgic should remember this feeling when “Enter Sandman” played over the PA when closer Mariano Rivera walked out of the bullpen and onto the mound in the ninth inning.
I’m not saying Weaver will ever be Rivera. The fact that he has his own ninth-inning entrance song and shuts batters down similarly to Rivera is a tell-tale sign the Yankees want and need to stick with the hot hand, Weaver, as the closer until further notice.
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