Devin Williams finds late-season steadiness as Yankees push toward playoffs

Devin Williams said he is feeling steady entering the final weeks of the New York Yankees' season, a notable turnaround for a pitcher who joined the club for 2025 but has endured his roughest campaign to date. The right-hander has long been known for the form that made him a two-time All-Star with Milwaukee, and he entered September with mixed results after a late-season push had provided only brief flashes of his earlier dominance.

Earlier this month, Williams logged a streak of seven consecutive scoreless outings, during which he allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out 10. Those outings helped stabilize a bullpen that has faced uneven results at times this season, and they arrived at a moment when New York needed reliability from its relief corps.

In 17 appearances since Aug. 10, Williams owns a 2.81 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 16 innings, a stretch that has often resembled the pitcher the Yankees traded for and hoped to deploy in high-leverage moments. The numbers highlight a return toward the form Williams showed during his Brewers tenure, when he emerged as a trusted late-inning option and an unexpected force on the mound.

Williams joined the Yankees on a one-year deal for 2025, a move designed to bolster the bullpen while giving the club flexibility this season. The late-season surge offers some reassurance that the club may have found a steady option for outs in tight games, even as the broader season has tested the reliever core at times.

As New York closes in on the postseason, every bullpen appearance carries additional weight. Williams’ recent results—especially the run of scoreless innings—have added a glimmer of the form that made him a two-time All-Star earlier in his career with the Brewers, fueling hope that the veteran right-hander can contribute in October even if the year has not gone as planned overall for him or the team.

The Yankees hosted the White Sox on Thursday as part of their late-season schedule, a reminder that the path to October is paved with minimal-margin performances and timely executions from relievers such as Williams. While this season remains Williams’ most challenging at the major league level, the latest stretch provides a practical reminder that his upside remains intact when he is at his best.

For a club intent on contending, the update is welcome but cautious: it does not erase a trying campaign, but it does offer a tangible, recent reason for optimism. If Williams continues to harness the late-season momentum, New York could leverage an experienced arm for crucial outs as the calendar turns to October.