Devin Williams (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Devin Williams |
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| New York Yankees – No. 38 | ||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | ||||||||||||||
| Born: September 21, 1994 Florissant, Missouri, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| August 7, 2019, for the Milwaukee Brewers | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through July 6, 2025) |
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| Win–loss record | 29–13 | |||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 2.22 | |||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 416 | |||||||||||||
| Saves | 80 | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Devin Terran Williams (born September 21, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher. He plays for the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Yankees, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers. Devin is known by his cool nickname, The Airbender. He has also played for the United States in international games.
Devin Williams started his MLB career in 2019 with the Brewers. In 2020, he was named the National League's Rookie of the Year. He also won the Reliever of the Year award that same year. He was chosen as an MLB All-Star in both 2022 and 2023. After the 2024 season, the Brewers traded him to the Yankees.
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Devin Williams' Early Life
Devin Williams was born on September 21, 1994, in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up in northern St. Louis County with his mother, Angela Norton.
When he was a child, Devin loved soccer and wanted to play it all the time. However, his grandfather encouraged him to play baseball too. Devin soon found he was very good at baseball. In his final year at Hazelwood West High School, he had a great pitching record. He won 6 games and lost 2, with a low earned run average (ERA) of 1.15. This means he allowed very few runs to score. He also struck out 101 batters and walked only 28. His fastball pitch often reached speeds of 92 to 94 miles per hour. He also threw a slider and a circle changeup.
Devin's Professional Baseball Career
Joining the Major Leagues
The Milwaukee Brewers picked Devin Williams in the second round of the 2013 MLB draft. He was the 54th player chosen overall. Devin had planned to play college baseball for the Missouri Tigers. But he decided to sign with the Brewers on June 16, receiving a $1.35 million bonus.
After signing, Devin started his professional career with the Rookie-level Arizona League (AZL) Brewers. He played in 13 games, starting 6 of them. He had a record of 1 win and 5 losses, with an ERA of 3.38. He struck out 39 batters in 34 and two-thirds innings.
In 2017, Devin had a serious elbow injury during spring training. He needed surgery and missed the entire season. In 2019, he was chosen to play in the All-Star Futures Game, which features top minor league players.
Playing for the Milwaukee Brewers (2019–2024)
On August 5, 2019, the Brewers called Devin up to play in the major leagues. He made his first MLB appearance on August 7 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 13 games for the Brewers in 2019, Devin had an ERA of 3.95. He struck out 14 batters in 13 and two-thirds innings.
Devin had an amazing year in 2020. He was named the NL Reliever of the Month for September. In 13 innings that month, he allowed only four hits and no runs, while striking out 24 batters. On October 5, 2020, Devin was named MLB Reliever of the Year. He finished the year with an incredible ERA of 0.33. He allowed only 18 hits in 27 innings and had 53 strikeouts. He struck out more than half the batters he faced in 22 games. On November 9, 2020, Devin also won the NL Rookie of the Year award. He was the first relief pitcher to win this award since 2011. His 0.33 ERA was the lowest for any pitcher with at least 21 innings pitched since 1913.
Devin continued to pitch well for the Brewers in 2021. He was named NL Reliever of the Month for August, allowing only one earned run in 14 games. However, on September 29, 2021, it was announced that Devin would miss the rest of the season. He had fractured his pitching hand.
In 2022, the Brewers traded their main closer, Josh Hader. Devin Williams then took over as the team's closer. A closer is a pitcher who finishes games, usually when the team has a small lead. In October 2022, Devin announced he would play for Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
On January 13, 2023, Devin signed a one-year contract with the Brewers for $3.35 million. He had a 1.53 ERA and recorded 36 saves that year. He won the NL Reliever of the Year award for the second time.
Devin signed another one-year contract for the 2024 season, worth $7.25 million. On March 14, 2024, it was announced that Devin would miss about three months due to two stress fractures in his back. He returned to play on July 28. In 22 games for Milwaukee, Devin had a 1.25 ERA. He struck out 38 batters and had 14 saves in 21 and two-thirds innings.
In the 2024 National League Wild Card Series against the New York Mets, Devin came in to close Game 3. The Brewers were leading 2–0. However, he gave up four runs in the ninth inning, and the Brewers lost the game and the series. After the 2024 season, the Brewers decided not to keep Devin on his contract option.
Joining the New York Yankees (2025–present)
On December 13, 2024, the Brewers traded Devin Williams to the New York Yankees. In return, the Brewers received Nestor Cortés Jr., Caleb Durbin, and some cash. Devin was expected to be the Yankees' new closer.
Devin made his Yankees debut on March 4, 2025. He closed out a 12-3 win against the Philadelphia Phillies during spring training. On April 27, Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that Devin was no longer the team's closer. However, Devin showed improvement, and another pitcher, Luke Weaver, got injured. So, in early June, Devin was put back into the closer role.
Devin's Pitching Style
Devin Williams mainly uses two pitches: a four-seam fastball and a special circle changeup. His changeup has a unique movement, almost like a screwball. He rotates the ball off his ring finger when he throws it. This pitch is also similar to how a cricket leg-spinner bowls a googly, but it's much faster, around 85 miles per hour. It also spins very quickly. He sometimes uses a cutter and a sinker, but not as often. In 2020, because his changeup had so much movement, he started using it more often, especially to strike out batters. He calls his changeup the "Airbender," a nickname given to him by baseball analyst Rob Friedman.
