The New York Yankees acquired Devin Williams in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason. However, Williams struggled early on, leading many to question the move.
Williams had an 11.25 ERA in his first 10 games as the Yankees' closer. He did not look like an All-Star, and the Yankees were forced to take the closer's role away from him. Williams did not get the closer's role back until Luke Weaver suffered an injury, but he has been significantly better after his first 10 outings.
Williams' turnaround is not luck. He revealed to the New York Daily News' Gary Phillips that he made a key change to his game. He started calling his own pitches on PitchCom.
"I wasn’t comfortable with the way the game was being called," Williams told the Daily News. "So instead of, I don’t know, trying to make other people see what I’m seeing, I took it into my own hands, and it’s been good since."
Since the change, Williams has a 2.42 ERA in 24 games. However, his numbers in the closer's role after Weaver's injury are even more stellar. It's no surprise, as it's likely where he is most comfortable. Since being thrust back into the closer's role, Williams has a 1.04 ERA, six saves and has allowed just five hits and one run.
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Williams' finding his dominant form again has not only saved his season from becoming a disaster, but has given the Yankees the weapon they expected when they traded Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin away. Williams is a two-time All-Star and two-time Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year, and he is starting to look the part in a Yankees uniform.
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