We’ve seen enough.
On Monday, New York Yankees closer Devin Williams’ nightmarish season continued in an 8-5 extra innings loss to the Texas Rangers, making one thing painfully obvious. It’s time for manager Aaron Boone to give the job to someone else.
Williams blew his third save of the season, giving up a solo home run to Rangers pinch hitter Joc Pederson. He left an 83 mph changeup over the middle of the zone, and Pederson drilled the ball 408 feet to right field.
The Rangers won when third baseman Josh Jung hit a three-run home run off trade-deadline acquisition Jake Bird in the bottom of the 10th.
This season, Williams has a 5.10 earned run average. He’s blown two consecutive save opportunities, also allowing a go-ahead two-run home run in an eventual 5-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
The Yankees acquired Williams in a December 2024 trade with the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes, infielder Caleb Durbin and cash.
While he established himself as one of the league’s best relievers with the Brewers, Williams has not worked out for the Yankees. He’s allowed 24 earned runs in 42.1 innings this season; from 2022-24, he gave up 26 earned runs in 141 innings.
Williams has been frustratingly inconsistent, the one thing teams can’t afford from their closers. In his first 12 outings, he allowed 10 earned runs in 10 innings, going 0-2 with four saves and one blown save.
He was slightly better in May, when he recorded a 4.50 earned run average, and looked more like his former self in June when allowing one earned run in 9.2 innings. Last month, he reverted back to his early-season form, ending July with a 5.73 ERA in 11 innings.
His shaky first August save attempt suggests this month might not be much different from the last.
At the trade deadline last Thursday, the Yankees added relievers David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Bird. All three have had rough first impressions, but Bednar and Doval, in particular, should get the first crack at closing out games going forward.
Sticking with Williams is Russian roulette. That isn’t a risk New York, which has lost four in a row and dropped to third in the AL East, can afford to continue taking.
