TAMPA — Devin Williams is used to it by now.
“It’s normally the primary query people ask me — or the just one,” he said with a chuckle.
So in a clubhouse filled with recent teammates and coaches, Williams has already fielded his fair proportion of questions on the pitch that’s so unique and nasty that it has its own name: The Airbender.
“It’s truthfully really easy, in my mind not less than,” the Yankees’ recent closer said Saturday at Steinbrenner Field. “It’s a four-seam changeup grip and I pronate it. I do know what I need to do with it. It’s just a little harder to place into words.
“Other people can’t really replicate what I do, based on their arm slot or how their body works. It really works for me. It’s just type of considered one of those things. Max Fried probably can’t really teach anyone else his curveball, he just does it. It’s second nature to him.”
Most are only curious how Williams throws the pitch.
Opposing hitters are equally inquisitive about how they’re presupposed to hit it.
“Attending to be back there may be rather a lot more fun than having to attempt to face him,” said Austin Wells, who caught Williams’ first live batting practice on Friday.
Since Williams broke into the league because the NL Rookie of the 12 months in 2020 with the Brewers, his changeup has been the most effective pitches within the majors.
Opposing batters have hit just .134 (69-for-515) against it with 245 strikeouts.
The Yankees have seen loads of the pitch through a screen, but now have gotten a front-row seat this week to observe its devastating movement on the method to the plate.
“I told him today, it was my first time standing behind that thing — it’s impressive,” manager Aaron Boone said.
It’s all a part of Williams’ orientation to his recent organization, after the Yankees acquired him in December for Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin.
They expect him to anchor a bullpen that must be strong and deep, not only in numbers but in the various looks it could throw at opponents — with Luke Weaver recently describing the group as having “splitters and changeups galore occurring.”
Williams can be on the forefront of that group entering his third season as a full-time closer.
The Brewers moved him into that role on the 2022 trade deadline, after dealing Josh Hader.
Since then, Williams has converted 59 of 66 save opportunities within the regular season.
After all, Williams’ most up-to-date save opportunity got here within the do-or-die Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series last October against the Mets.
He entered within the ninth inning to guard a 2-0 lead, three outs away from advancing to the NLDS, and as a substitute gave up a three-run home run to Pete Alonso on a changeup that effectively ended the Brewers’ season.
Williams on Saturday said that he has “at all times let failure fuel me to attempt to make me higher,” and spoke in regards to the closer’s mentality of quickly moving on to the subsequent day’s game after rough outings.
Except there was no next game for Williams last October, and as a substitute he has had a whole offseason to take a seat on that blown save.
“We didn’t have a game the subsequent day, so it’s tougher to maneuver on,” Williams said. “In that case, you type of replay that moment, what could I actually have done in a different way? Which, I don’t know if I actually would have modified too many things in that outing. At the top of the day, it’s baseball.
“I got two ground balls that inning that found a hole (considered one of which got here before Alonso’s home run), which if those are two feet to the left or two feet to the proper, we’re not having this conversation. Just something you bought to take care of and move on.”
TAMPA — Devin Williams is used to it by now.
“It’s normally the primary query people ask me — or the just one,” he said with a chuckle.
So in a clubhouse filled with recent teammates and coaches, Williams has already fielded his fair proportion of questions on the pitch that’s so unique and nasty that it has its own name: The Airbender.
“It’s truthfully really easy, in my mind not less than,” the Yankees’ recent closer said Saturday at Steinbrenner Field. “It’s a four-seam changeup grip and I pronate it. I do know what I need to do with it. It’s just a little harder to place into words.
“Other people can’t really replicate what I do, based on their arm slot or how their body works. It really works for me. It’s just type of considered one of those things. Max Fried probably can’t really teach anyone else his curveball, he just does it. It’s second nature to him.”
Most are only curious how Williams throws the pitch.
Opposing hitters are equally inquisitive about how they’re presupposed to hit it.
“Attending to be back there may be rather a lot more fun than having to attempt to face him,” said Austin Wells, who caught Williams’ first live batting practice on Friday.
Since Williams broke into the league because the NL Rookie of the 12 months in 2020 with the Brewers, his changeup has been the most effective pitches within the majors.
Opposing batters have hit just .134 (69-for-515) against it with 245 strikeouts.
The Yankees have seen loads of the pitch through a screen, but now have gotten a front-row seat this week to observe its devastating movement on the method to the plate.
“I told him today, it was my first time standing behind that thing — it’s impressive,” manager Aaron Boone said.
It’s all a part of Williams’ orientation to his recent organization, after the Yankees acquired him in December for Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin.
They expect him to anchor a bullpen that must be strong and deep, not only in numbers but in the various looks it could throw at opponents — with Luke Weaver recently describing the group as having “splitters and changeups galore occurring.”
Williams can be on the forefront of that group entering his third season as a full-time closer.
The Brewers moved him into that role on the 2022 trade deadline, after dealing Josh Hader.
Since then, Williams has converted 59 of 66 save opportunities within the regular season.
After all, Williams’ most up-to-date save opportunity got here within the do-or-die Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series last October against the Mets.
He entered within the ninth inning to guard a 2-0 lead, three outs away from advancing to the NLDS, and as a substitute gave up a three-run home run to Pete Alonso on a changeup that effectively ended the Brewers’ season.
Williams on Saturday said that he has “at all times let failure fuel me to attempt to make me higher,” and spoke in regards to the closer’s mentality of quickly moving on to the subsequent day’s game after rough outings.
Except there was no next game for Williams last October, and as a substitute he has had a whole offseason to take a seat on that blown save.
“We didn’t have a game the subsequent day, so it’s tougher to maneuver on,” Williams said. “In that case, you type of replay that moment, what could I actually have done in a different way? Which, I don’t know if I actually would have modified too many things in that outing. At the top of the day, it’s baseball.
“I got two ground balls that inning that found a hole (considered one of which got here before Alonso’s home run), which if those are two feet to the left or two feet to the proper, we’re not having this conversation. Just something you bought to take care of and move on.”
