For years, teammates have requested Devin Williams to show them his changeup, a pitch so uncommon and dominant it has its personal nickname. Williams at all times helps. They simply by no means get “The Airbender” proper.
“I have never seen anybody replicate it,” Williams mentioned.
Powered by The Airbender, Williams has established himself as one of many premier relievers in baseball since breaking into the majors in 2019. He has been so good that the Milwaukee Brewers, protecting with their frugal roster-building ways, traded Williams to the New York Yankees final month for left-hander Nestor Cortes and prospect Caleb Durbin earlier than he inevitably would change into too costly in free company subsequent winter.
So, for one season, not less than, Williams will observe within the footsteps of one other Yankees nearer who perplexed hitters with one pitch: Mariano Rivera.
“Those are huge sneakers to fill,” Williams mentioned of Rivera, whose signature cutter helped him change into the primary participant voted unanimously to the Hall of Fame. “I really feel he form of ruined it for everyone else. I imply, after him, it is laborious to dwell as much as these expectations. But on the finish of the day, I can solely be me.”
Being himself has been greater than adequate for the 30-year-old Williams. The right-hander gained the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award with a 0.33 ERA in 22 video games because the Brewers’ major setup man in the course of the COVID-shortened marketing campaign. He was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023, his first full season as a more in-depth.
Last season, after lacking the primary 4 months with stress fractures in his again, he posted a 1.25 ERA with 14 saves in 15 alternatives throughout 22 appearances. His 40.8% strikeout fee since 2020 ranks second within the majors amongst relievers. His 1.70 ERA can also be second. His .144 batting common towards ranks first.
“Obviously, he is among the best within the league, if not the very best,” Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake mentioned.
For Williams, all of it begins with The Airbender. Williams grips it like a changeup and its 84-mph common velocity performs off his fastball like a changeup. But it is a changeup with an exceptionally excessive spin fee that breaks to his arm facet — reverse from the standard changeup — making it resemble a screwball or a left-hander’s sweeping slider. It is with out precedent.
“It’s not something to do with the grip,” Williams mentioned. “The grip is nothing particular. That’s why I feel it is humorous when individuals are like, ‘Oh, do not give it away.’ This is probably the most primary changeup grip they educate you while you’re 8 years outdated.”
Williams mentioned his changeup is so totally different for 2 causes: His elite extension, which ranked within the 98th percentile in 2024, and a singular capacity to pronate his wrist.
“It’s the way in which my wrist works, the way in which I’m capable of manipulate the ball is one thing distinctive, uniquely me,” Williams mentioned. “It permits me to throw my changeup the way in which I throw it. I’m a extremely good pronator, not supinator. That’s why my slider sucked. You must get on the opposite facet of the ball. I’m not good at that. I’m good at turning it over.”
Williams did, nonetheless, modify his changeup grip to unearth the weapon. Entering 2019, Williams was a struggling minor league starter with a stable changeup, two years faraway from Tommy John surgical procedure. He was one 12 months from reaching free company, from maybe seeing his profession come to an finish and going to varsity to play soccer.
That spring, in search of extra motion, he altered his changeup grip from a two-seam to a four-seam, circle change grip. He first threw it throughout a dwell batting observe session to Trent Grisham, then a Brewers prospect. Grisham, now with the Yankees, instructed Williams the spin distinction was noticeable. Williams caught with it.
A starter by spring coaching, Williams was despatched to Double-A as a reliever to start the season. The demotion sparked desperation, and Williams determined to throw more durable than ever, reaching again to carry his fastball into the excessive 90s. He was within the majors by August. But it wasn’t till the COVID shutdown in 2020 — when he realized spinning the ball extra and dropping the speed from high-80s to mid-80s created extra motion — that his changeup reached one other degree.
“I took that into the season and at summer season camp I’m dealing with my very own teammates,” Williams mentioned. “And Jedd Gyorko, I threw him one, and he swung and missed and he was similar to, What is that? I’ve by no means seen [anything] like that. That gave me confidence and we simply ran with it. And I actually began throwing it on a regular basis.”
Coincidentally, Williams mentioned the closest changeup he is seen to his belongs to Luke Weaver, whose emergence as a shutdown reliever in 2024 was essential within the Yankees reaching the World Series. Williams occurred to be in New York when the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers performed within the Fall Classic. He was on his annual autumn trip after the Brewers have been eradicated from the postseason. Past journeys have taken him throughout Europe: London, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Munich, Dortmund, with a soccer sport invariably on his itinerary.
This time, he was in New York. He explored the town for 10 days. Instead of soccer, he watched the World Series from a bar. He shopped. He ate good meals. He absorbed the town’s power.
“I’m a metropolis man,” Williams mentioned. “I like to discover cities. I prefer to immerse myself within the tradition. I wish to be like a traditional, on a regular basis individual. You guys like bacon, egg and cheese? All proper, I’m getting a bacon, egg and cheese.”
Less than two months later, as a part of a collection of strikes executed of their pivot from Juan Soto‘s resolution to signal with the crosstown Mets, the Yankees added Williams. On Thursday, Williams settled for $8.6 million to keep away from arbitration.
He’ll accomplice with Weaver to create among the best bullpen again ends in baseball — in hopes of serving to the Yankees win their first championship since Rivera was dominating hitters together with his cutter.
