New York Yankees Boss Stands Behind Struggling Closer With Supportive Message

The New York Yankees acquired a star closer this offseason, and despite his early struggles, manager Aaron Boone is standing behind his key player.

Apr 12, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Devin Williams (38) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. | Tom Horak-Imagn Images

When the New York Yankees acquired star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers as one of their signature moves this past winter, they were hoping to avoid situations like the one that unfolded on Saturday.

Squaring off against their American League East rival Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees squandered a four-run ninth inning lead before going on to lose in extra innings by a 10-8 margin.

Williams was on the mound as the Rays mounted the big comeback, punctuated by a game-tying two-RBI single by Brandon Lowe, a veteran hitter who has long been a thorn in New York's side.

The four-run outburst ballooned Williams' ERA for his first season with the Yankees up to 9.00, but his struggles in his new uniform, which comes with the notorious extra weight of the pinstripes, predate yesterday's game.

The 30-year-old Missouri native got his first save opportunity of the year on Opening Day against his former club. He got the job done, but it took 36 pitches and saw him surrender a run on two hits and a walk.

A few outings later, the Detroit Tigers got to him for three earned runs in what was a 4-0 game heading to the bottom of the ninth before Mark Leiter Jr. stepped in to pick up the save.

Williams has not yet consistently provided the sort of lockdown effectiveness the team expected in acquiring him, but manager Aaron Boone believes it is coming in a hurry.

“We’ve got a long way to go," Boone told MLB.com beat reporter Bryan Hoch. "It’s a little bump here early. He’s got all the equipment to get through it.”

Boone is known for standing behind his players through hard times like this, and it's part of what makes him such a popular manager in the clubhouse.

He's certainly right that there is a lot of past evidence for Williams' skill set, but the picture painted by his Baseball Savant data for 2025 is not a pretty one.

Williams is currently sitting right around league average in whiff rate and chase rate, and he is well below average in walk rate, strikeout rate, barrel percentage and xERA.

These represent massive regressions from his last full season in 2023.

Then, he was in the 99th percentile in whiff rate and strikeout rate, and his xERA of 2.67 (compared to 6.06 this year), put him in the 98th percentile.

If Williams is going to turn things around this year, it is not going to be a matter of luck. He'll have to dig deep and find some extra stuff and velocity to recapture his previous brilliant form.