New York Yankees closer Devin Williams (2-3) took the loss in an 11-9 slugfest against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. With the Yankees' bullpen undermanned, they brought Williams in to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning in a 9-9 tie. He struck out Andres Gimenez to start the inning before encountering disaster. Williams walked George Springer and then issued an intentional pass to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Both runners advanced on a flyout by Alejandro Kirk. Williams was an out away from escaping trouble, but he uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Springer to score. Addison Barger then singled in Guerrero. Williams was charged with two earned runs on one hit, two walks, and a strikeout in a 25-pitch inning. The right-hander's ERA has increased to an unattractive 5.17 ERA across 31 1/3 innings, but that's largely because of an awful first month of the season. Wednesday's outing was the first time he gave up a run since June 3, breaking a streak of eight appearances.

New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams pitched a perfect ninth inning to record his 11th save in a 3-0 win over the Athletics on Friday. Williams struck out one and needed 15 pitches to shut the door on the A's. It was the right-hander's eighth straight scoreless appearance and his ninth in 10 outings this month. Notably, before turning to Williams in the ninth, the Yankees used fellow saves candidate Luke Weaver in the eighth. Weaver tossed a 1-2-3 frame and logged his seventh hold. He hasn't received a save opportunity since returning from a three-week stay on the injured list on June 20. Williams, meanwhile, has notched two saves in that span. Manager Aaron Boone said a week ago that Williams and Weaver would each close games, but it appears they'd rather use the latter in a setup role when both pitchers are available.

New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams notched his 10th save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. The right-hander gave up one hit - a single to Jackson Holliday - but retired the other three hitters he faced in the top of the ninth inning. He finished with one strikeout and needed just 14 pitches to finish off the Orioles. Williams has only allowed one run in eight appearances in June and has converted all five of his save chances this month. When high-leverage reliever Luke Weaver returned from the injured list Friday, manager Aaron Boone said he and Williams would each be in line for saves. Since then, Weaver has made one appearance in a non-save situation. He came into a 3-3 game in the top of the eighth inning against the Orioles on Friday and surrendered two runs in a losing effort. The Yankees turned to Williams instead of Weaver on Sunday. We'll see if that changes next time a save opportunity presents itself for the Yankees.

New York Yankees relief pitchers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver will both have the opportunity to close games. Manager Aaron Boone noted that the Yankees have "two elite guys back there." As a result, while both relievers could see double-digit save opportunities during the second half of the season, they will significantly limit each other's ceiling. Williams opened the season as the top closer but allowed 13 earned runs across his first 11 2/3 innings, which allowed Weaver to become the go-to option in the ninth. However, Weaver was eventually placed on the 15-day IL with a hamstring injury, which allowed Williams to see more opportunities. While Williams has begun to turn the corner, Weaver sits with a stellar 1.05 ERA through 25 2/3 innings of work. As a result, both relievers should be viewed as low-end options in standard category leagues when looking for saves, for the time being.

New York Yankees right-hander Devin Williams preserved a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. Williams fired a perfect ninth inning while striking out one to earn his ninth save of the season. The veteran reliever got off to a rough start this season but has improved as the year has gone on, posting a 1.98 ERA over his past 15 appearances, spanning 13 2/3 innings of work. Overall, Williams has a 2-2 record, 5.68 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts over 25 1/3 innings of work on the year. He should remain a top-notch fantasy closer going forward.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams only had to get two outs to get the save on Wednesday night, as his team held on to win 6-3 in Kansas City. The Yankees started the ninth with a 6-0 lead, but Mark Leiter Jr. gave up four hits and three runs while only recording one out. Williams came into the save situation and struck out Mark Canha before getting Jonathan India to ground out to first base to end the game. Williams still has a 5.92 ERA on the year with a 2.91 FIP and 11.5 K/9, but he has been better over his last 14 games with a 2.13 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings. He has converted a save in each of his last three appearances and has eight saves and just one blown save this year. He and the Yankees finish their series in Kansas City on Thursday before heading to Boston for a weekend set at Fenway.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams secured his sixth save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Guardians on Tuesday. A double, single, and stolen base suddenly brought Cleveland within one with the tying run in scoring position, but Williams managed to get Bo Naylor to fly out to escape the inning. This was the reliever's first appearance since officially stepping back into the closer role with Luke Weaver going on the injured list. The 30-year-old was effective overall after being dismissed from his ninth-inning duties a few weeks ago, but whenever he finds himself in a save situation, it ends up being stressful. It may be a mental hurdle more than anything at this point, and he should have plenty of time to work through it with Weaver expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that right-handed reliever Devin Williams will do most of the closing while righty Luke Weaver (hamstring) is sidelined. Weaver, who took over closing duties from Williams early in the season, strained his hamstring on Sunday and could be out for anywhere from four to six weeks. Boone also noted that Fernando Cruz (shoulder) is returning from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday, so he'll help bolster the bullpen with Williams out as well. While Williams' 6.23 ERA and 1.43 WHIP on the season in 21 2/3 innings isn't pretty, he's pitched better of late and has allowed only two earned runs while striking out 15 and walking two in his last 10 innings pitched. His fantasy stock is now up with save chances coming regularly again, and it's possible that he'll stick in the ninth-inning role if he's pitching well when Weaver is ready to return.

New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams allowed three hits and two earned runs, picking up his fifth save of the season in a 3-2 road win against the Los Angeles Angels. With fellow bullpen arm Luke Weaver presumably unavailable after pitching the last two days, the 30-year-old was brought into the bottom of the ninth with his team leading 3-0. Williams had gone eight scoreless outings before Tuesday, but immediately yielded a Yoan Moncada homer to lead off the inning before two more hits and a fielder's choice pushed across another run. Fortunately, he got Logan O'Hoppe to foul out and end the threat, but it's another shaky showing for the veteran. He holds an uncharacteristic 6.75 ERA and 1.55 WHIP (20 innings) in his first season with the Yankees.

New York Yankees right-handed reliever Devin Williams struck out two during a scoreless eighth inning in Tuesday's win over the Texas Rangers and has now recorded ix straight outings without allowing an earned run. Nine of those 10 outings have come since he was removed as the team's closer, and his ERA on the year is now down to 6.88. Before being demoted from the closer's role, Williams had an ERA of 11.25 with four saves and a blown save in his first 10 games in New York. Despite Williams' recent turnaround, manager Aaron Boone said "no plans right now" when asked if Williams could take the closing gig back from Luke Weaver. Williams entered 2025 with a 1.83 ERA in his career with 65 saves in his last three seasons with the Brewers. Weaver has a 0.44 ERA and six saves this year, so Boone has no real incentive to change things up as they currently are.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams continued his dismal start to the season in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Padres. Williams came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning with a 3-0 lead. He got the first out on a strikeout, allowed a walk and a single, and got the second out on a strikeout. He then allowed another walk before being relieved by Luke Weaver, who allowed two more runs to score, one of which was charged to Williams. The 30-year-old, who has been an excellent reliever throughout his career, has already been removed as the team's closer and owns a 10.03 ERA, a 1.97 WHIP, and a 10.03 K/9 rate in 11 2/3 innings of work. While Williams could theoretically earn his way back into save opportunities, he will need to drastically turn things around to make that a potential chance. Ideally, fantasy managers could hold onto Williams on their bench to wait for that chance if they can afford the roster spot.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams has been removed from the closer role for now, according to manager Aaron Boone. This news comes a few days after Williams blew a three-run lead to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. The Yankees had to make this move given nothing is going right for Williams right now. He holds a 11.25 ERA, allowing 12 hits, 10 earned runs, and has walked seven batters in 10 games. It's best for the Yankees to pull him from the closer role and give him low-leverage situations to build up his confidence. The Yankees haven't named another closer, but the assumption is that Luke Weaver will be the favorite right now. Fantasy managers looking for bullpen help might want to snag Weaver before it's too late. As for Williams, fantasy managers should hold him for now as he'll hopefully return to the closer role after getting back on track.

New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams allowed three runs on two hits in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He did not record an out and was tagged with his second loss of the season. The 30-year-old entered Friday's game in the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead. Williams was shaky right off the bat, allowing a leadoff single to George Springer, hitting Andres Gimenez with a pitch, and allowing a two-run double to Alejandro Kirk. He surrendered an RBI single to Addison Barger before being removed from the game. Williams was charged with his first blown save of the season and owns an 11.25 ERA, 2.38 WHIP, and eight strikeouts over eight innings. After the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked if Williams would remain the closer. "We'll see," Boone said when asked if Williams would benefit from moving to lower leverage situations. "We'll kind of talk through this stuff. This is raw right now. We want to do everything we can to get him right because we know how good he is and how valuable he is going to be from us." Williams has struggled and could benefit from temporarily being removed from the closer role until he gets things right. ... [More]

New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams pitched a clean inning on Thursday to earn a save in his team's 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The 30-year-old did not allow a hit or free pass and struck out none. It's Williams' fourth save of the season, as he's now down to an inflated 5.14 ERA and 1.86 WHIP with eight strikeouts in seven innings pitched. Though he's been a little shaky this season, the former second-round pick has pitched three straight hitless innings -- collecting three saves over the Yankees' prior four outings. It's mildly concerning that his strikeout rate has dropped nearly 20 points from a season ago, while his walk rate is elevated. However, Williams hasn't compiled an ERA higher than 2.50 since 2021, so he's likely to turn it around soon.

New York Yankees closer Devin Williams picked up his second save of the season in Monday's 4-1 win over the Royals. Williams came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three. He allowed a leadoff single to Bobby Witt Jr., got the first out on a pop-out, allowed a walk, and got the final two outs on another pop-out and a line-out. Things have not gone smoothly for the 30-year-old in his first season with his new team, as he has converted both of his save opportunities but has a 7.20 ERA, seven strikeouts, and six walks in just five innings of work. Williams has been one of fantasy's most reliable relief pitchers throughout his career and was traded for to fill a closing void for the Yankees, so fantasy managers should remain patient with him early on.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that closer Devin Williams will come off the paternity list on Friday for the team's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Williams will miss his third and final game in the series finale in the Bronx on Thursday against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, but he'll be available if a save situation arises on Friday. Right-hander Luke Weaver is the next man up for save situations for the Yankees with Williams away from the team temporarily, but he hasn't been used at all since Williams left the team. The 30-year-old Williams picked up a save in his first appearance with the Yankees last week against his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, but he did give up an earned run on two hits while striking out two. If he stays healthy, Williams could be one of the most productive closers in the league for fantasy managers.

The New York Yankees announced on Tuesday that they placed right-hander Devin Williams on the paternity list before their game in the Bronx against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. The team also signed right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino to a major-league contract and added him to the active roster. To clear space on the 40-man roster, right-hander JT Brubaker (rib) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Williams will be away from the Yankees for anywhere from one to three days, so act accordingly with your fantasy lineups. In the meantime, the best bet to fill in for a save chance for the Yankees will be right-hander Luke Weaver. To open his first year with the Yanks, Williams picked up a save on Opening Day last Thursday against his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, but he also allowed an earned run while walking one and striking out two.

New York Yankees closer Devin Williams notched his first save of the season, securing the team's 4-2 victory over the Brewers on Thursday. It wasn't without drama, however, as the first three batters got on base (two hits, one walk) in the ninth against the righty to load the bases with no outs in a 4-1 game. The 30-year-old yielded a sacrifice fly to the next batter, allowing one run to score, but proceeded to strike out the next two hitters to end the threat. Williams should have ample opportunities to save games for the Yankees this season, and with a career ERA of 1.83, WHIP of 1.02, and superb 27.6 percent K-BB%, the 2x All-Star is locked in as a Top 3 closer.

Right-handed closer Devin Williams and the New York Yankees agreed on a one-year, $8.6 million deal on Thursday to avoid salary arbitration, according to a source. The Yankees acquired Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason, and he will be their undisputed closer to begin the 2025 campaign. The 30-year-old did miss the entire first half of last season while recovering from back surgery, but when he returned, he was the same lights-out closer for the Brewers to finish the year. The former second-round pick by the Brewers in 2013 has been one of the most dominant closers in baseball the last three years, posting a combined 1.66 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 65 saves, 221 strikeouts and 69 walks in 141 relief innings. There may be some injury concerns surround Williams, but he's a no-doubt top-five fantasy closer with the Yankees.

Unsurprisingly, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that right-handed reliever Devin Williams will serve as the team's closer next season. This was fully expected when the Yankees acquired Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason. The 30-year-old two-time All-Star will have an even higher fantasy ceiling as an elite closer heading into 2025 now that he's in the Bronx. The former second-round pick by the Brewers in 2013 had a pristine 1.73 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 51 saves in 119 1/3 innings pitched for the Brewers in 2022 and 2023. He got a late start to the 2024 season after having back surgery and threw only 21 2/3 frames in the regular season, but he was lights-out again with a 1.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 14 saves and 38 strikeouts. Williams will be highly coveted as a top fantasy close. His arrival in the Bronx will push Luke Weaver into the eighth-inning setup role.