In his first season with the New York Yankees, Devin Williams has gone from one of the most productive and consistent relief pitchers in Major League Baseball to an absolute liability in high-leverage situations. In 47 games with the Yankees, Williams has produced career-worst statistics in practically every major category, including ERA, FIP, K/9, WHIP, and batting average against. The question I, and the entire Yankees’ fanbase, are trying to answer is simple: why has Williams been so bad this season?
Instead of jumping straight into “why” Williams has been performing so poorly in 2025, let's start with an easier question: how are Williams’ numbers so bad? Simply put, opposing batters are hitting the ball harder than ever against Devin Williams and are striking out less. From his 2020 AL ROY-winning season to his last season as a Brewer in 2024, Williams held a 40.8 K% and a 28.7% HardHit rate. In 2025, Williams’ K% has plummeted to a career low of 29.9%, while his HardHit rate has jumped up over 7 points to 35.8%. This combination has led to more runners on base, more pitches thrown, and significantly more runs allowed by Williams than in previous seasons.
Interestingly, Williams has been pitching in significantly lower-leverage situations than he did in Milwaukee, making his poor statistics even more confusing. For 2025, Williams’ gmLI (average leverage index when entering the game) is 1.39. For reference, Williams’ gmLI in his last 3 seasons with the Brewers was up around 2. Additionally, Williams’ pitch selection has not altered much since his days in Milwaukee. Devin Williams still relies almost exclusively on his 4-seam fastball and changeup, and the frequency at which he throws those two pitches this season has been roughly the same as any other given year in his previous 5 full seasons in the MLB. Furthermore, Williams has been throwing his fastball and changeup almost as effectively as any other season in his career. His 5 offspeed run value puts him in the 94th percentile of qualified pitchers, and while his -1 run value for his fastball places him in the 34th percentile, that placement is actually better than his 2020 AL ROY award-winning season. As a matter of fact, Williams’ entire Baseball Savant chart is alarmingly similar to his previous seasons. The only difference: In Milwaukee, Devin Williams was one of the best closers in baseball. In New York, he’s been one of the worst
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It seems that Williams’ approach to pitching is roughly the same this season as it was in Milwaukee. He is throwing the same pitches, walking a similar number of batters, and being used in a similar role. The difference arises when you take a look at the real outcomes of his appearance. Williams is striking out fewer batters and, therefore allowing more hits and more runs. The cause of this? Is it the pressure of pitching for a more illustrious franchise and a more competitive team with higher expectations? Is it the Yankees’ subpar pitching coaches that have consistently failed to develop talented pitchers over the past three years? Has Williams simply been “figured out” by opposing hitters? Or, has Williams been unfortunately unlucky this season? Whatever the reasoning may be, Williams must improve in the second half of the 2025 season, or his time as a high-usage relief pitcher for the New York Yankees will be short-lived.
Thank you for reading and make sure to stay tuned for more articles coming soon!