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New York sports radio icon Mike Francesa
A season of lows may have hit rock bottom for New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams . And at least one local broadcasting legend believes it’s all over for Williams in the Big Apple.
On Friday night at Yankee Stadium , Williams entered in the 10th inning to face the Houston Astros with the game tied 2-2. But a wild pitch and two hits later, the second one a homer by Taylor Trammell, and the Astros enjoyed a three-run lead. They would hold on to win 5-3.
Williams took the loss in his second consecutive appearance and fell to 3-5 for the season. It was also the fifth straight game in which Williams allowed runs to score, with home runs being the culprit in three of those games.
“I’m not making pitches, it’s pretty simple,” said Williams , whose ERA rose to 5.73. “I stink right now.”
And according to long-time sports radio talk-show host Mike Francesa, it was just the latest evidence that Williams doesn’t want to be a Yankee.
“Forget Williams. Williams doesn’t want to be here,” Francesa said during a recent interview on WFAN. “I’m telling you, he won’t be here next year. He shouldn’t be here. I don’t think he likes it here.”
Sports Radio Icon Criticizes Devin Williams: ‘I Don’t Think He Likes it Here’
GettyNew York Yankees reliever Devin Williams has struggled in his first season with the team, after dominating for six seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Williams certainly doesn’t like the way he has pitched since arriving in New York. Acquired in December from the Milwaukee Brewers for infielder Caleb Durbin, left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes and cash considerations, Williams immediately got off to a bad start and carred a 9.00-plus ERA into the middle of May.
Williams was removed from the closer’s role that month in favor of Luke Weaver , and he was able to build some confidence in low-pressure spots. During one May stretch, Williams went scoreless in eight straight appearances, with just three hits and two walks allowed against 13 strikeouts in 7.1 innings.
Then while Weaver was on the injured list, Williams had a dominant June. In 10 appearances, he gave up five hits and one run in 9.2 innings, with no walks and 12 strikeouts, and Williams earned a save in all six opportunities.
At the All-Star break, Williams had a 4.58 ERA, the lowest it had been since April 6. But he gave up a run in each of his first two games after the break, foretelling the current stretch of five straight surrendering runs, with a loss and two blown saves.
“It’s tough. It’s not something I’m used to,” said the 30-year-old right-hander. “I really haven’t struggled like this since probably 2018, coming back from [Tommy John surgery]. All I did then was continue to work, try to help out the team any way I can.”
Devin Williams Struggles in New York After Dominating With Milwaukee
Since arriving in the majors in 2019, Williams quickly became one of the league’s dominant relief pitchers. In his six seasons with Milwaukee, the last three as a closer, Williams posted an ERA of 1.83, with 375 strikeouts in 235.2 innings.
But the confidence that Williams developed during his Brewers days has disappeared while wearing the Yankee pinstripes.
“I’m not going to say it’s as high as it’s ever been,” Williams acknowledged. “Obviously not the way that things have been going. But I just need to put some good ones together, you know? Get the ball rolling in the right direction.”
Williams, who signed a one-year deal with the Yankees to avoid arbitration, will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, which seems likely will be his only season in the Bronx. For Francesa, he’s just happy that the Yankees went in “the right direction” with the acquisition of David Bednar , as well as relievers Camilo Doval and Jake Bird, to increase the depth in the bullpen and give the team another 9th-inning option.
“They got the right closer now,” Francesa said.
Because, Francesa opined, Williams just can’t seem to handle that role for the Yankees.
“He looks like a guy who is a deer in a headlight every time he goes to the mound,” Francesa said. “He’s given up on the mound.”
Dave Benson is a veteran writer with over three decades of journalism experience covering sports primarily in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Dave is also a licensed English teacher and spent several years teaching at the middle school level. More about Dave Benson
