ST. LOUIS -- Devin Williams’ first save as a member of the Mets came Monday night in a familiar place, but its significance went beyond the setting.
It was a glimpse of how New York plans to rely on its new closer, and how quickly he’s settling into that role.
Williams needed just 12 pitches to lock down a clean ninth inning in Monday’s 4-2 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, throwing 10 strikes and showing the efficiency the Mets envisioned when they acquired him this offseason.
“It’s great to get the first one,” Williams said. “And for it to go as smoothly as it did was awesome. But the closer role or the eighth inning, my mentality has always stayed the same. I’m out there to get three outs and either end the game or pass it to the next guy.”
The result may have been routine on the surface, but for a pitcher adjusting to a new team and role, it marked an important early step.
Manager Carlos Mendoza saw it as confirmation of what the Mets have in the back end of their bullpen.
“He’s elite,” Mendoza said. “And when he’s on his game, when he’s at his best, he’s pretty tough. It was just good to see him out there getting the first one out of the way, and we’ve got to keep it there.”
What made the outing more notable was that Williams didn’t feel like he had his best weapon.
His signature changeup – widely regarded as one of the most dominant pitches in baseball – wasn’t quite where he wanted it. Still, the results told a different story, as Cardinals hitters struggled to square it up.
“The feel of it didn’t feel all the way there,” Williams said. “It’s a feel pitch, and there’s always a little adjustment period at the beginning of the season. Just getting into that rhythm again. I feel like I’m in a good spot, but I think I could be even better.”
That ability to dominate even without peak feel is part of what has defined Williams throughout his career.
Mets starter Freddy Peralta, who spent six seasons alongside Williams in Milwaukee, said it comes down to both the pitch itself and how it’s used.
“I think he has the best changeup in the league,” Peralta said. “He knows when to throw it, he knows how to throw it. When you have a changeup like that, especially paired with the fastball, it makes it very difficult for hitters.”
Williams’ performance also capped another strong showing from a Mets bullpen that has been one of the club’s early strengths, allowing just four earned runs through its first four games.
While the broader picture continues to develop, Williams’ role at the end of games is already taking shape.
Even in a new uniform, his approach has not changed, only the context around it.
And doing it in St. Louis, roughly 20 miles from where he grew up in Hazelwood, Mo., added a personal layer to the moment.
“It’s always special playing here,” Williams said. “My family gets to see me here more than anywhere else. That was the first time my son has seen me get a save in this stadium, and his birthday is today, so it was a little birthday present for him.”
A meaningful moment, no doubt – but for Williams and the Mets, the bigger takeaway was what it represented moving forward: A new closer, already settling in.