TAMPA, Fla. -- The pitch that created one of baseball’s coolest nicknames -- “The Airbender” -- is a curiosity at Yankees camp, where players and coaches peer to witness Devin Williams’ unique changeup for themselves.
That attention comes as little surprise to Williams, who will step into the Bombers’ closer role after being acquired from the Brewers in December, though he still gets a kick out of garnering fresh reactions.
“I feel like everyone’s seen it at this point, you know?” Williams said. “[They react] about the same as they usually do.”
A two-time All-Star and two-time National League Reliever of the Year with Milwaukee, Williams offers more than just the Airbender, the highest-spin changeup recorded in an age where every toss from a mound seemingly prompts pitchers to glance at computer screens.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone compares Williams to a luxury vehicle, and no test drive is necessary to understand what he is attempting to convey.
“He’s a Mercedes,” Boone said. “We talk about the Airbender all the time, and rightfully so, but the fastball is real, too. He’s just a really good athlete, in really good shape. You can tell he works hard in the winter to be in a position to physically do it. I’m certainly excited to see him. He looks really good so far to me.”
When Williams tossed his first live batting practice session as a Yankee earlier this week, he partnered with catcher Austin Wells, who came away impressed after receiving a few Airbenders.
“I think it’s just the way he doesn’t change his arm speed and just the way that it moves. There’s not many pitches that move like that pitch,” Wells said. “It was cool getting to be behind the plate for a guy who has an anomaly pitch. I’m much more glad I was seeing it from behind the plate than at the plate.”
Ben Rice, who caught Williams in a side session, describes the pitch’s appearance as “a cue ball.”
“That thing is crazy. He has a gift,” Rice said. “Usually, when guys throw changeups, you take a little spin off your fastball. He spins it really high, which means it’s going to look white coming in. That’s what a fastball looks like out of the hand. His changeup mirrors that, like a cue ball that is so white and looks so good, then it falls off and fades away.”
Williams posted a 1.25 ERA with 14 saves in 22 appearances for Milwaukee last season, though he missed the first 104 games with a back stress fracture. Williams said that situation has completely resolved going into the new campaign, his last under contract before potentially reaching free agency.
The Yankees expect Williams to maintain his ninth-inning dominance, with Luke Weaver moving into a fireman role. Over the last three seasons (since 2022), Williams has not allowed a run in 130 of 148 appearances, owning a 1.66 ERA over the stretch.
Each Yankees closer in the post-Mariano Rivera era deals with unfair comparisons to the only unanimous Hall of Famer thus far, and Williams will likely be no different as a smooth right-hander with a trademark offering that can be contrasted against Rivera’s bat-shattering cutter.
Williams and Rivera briefly met at a January autograph show, and Williams said he hopes to continue their conversation.
“He’s definitely somebody I want to learn from,” Williams said. “Especially in my position, the big thing is consistency. I’ve been pretty consistent to this point, and I’d like to continue that. I think he could be a valuable resource for me, for sure.”
When that occurs, Rivera’s icy postseason mindset may be a topic.
Williams’ tenure in Milwaukee ended in heartbreaking fashion against the Mets, surrendering Pete Alonso’s go-ahead homer in the deciding Game 3 of the National League Division Series.
“I got two ground balls in that inning that found a hole,” Williams said. “If those are two feet to the left or two feet to the right, it’s different, and we’re not having this conversation. So it’s just something you’ve got to deal with, and we move on.”
He's hungry for another opportunity to close out a lead, beginning with the Yankees’ season opener on March 27 against -- who else? -- the Brewers.
“I’m sure it’s going to be awesome,” Williams said. “I’m sure it’s going to be an electric atmosphere, which I love. I’m really looking forward to it. There’s only so many people that have ever got to put this jersey on, and I’m glad to be one of them.”