MLBbro Devin Williams ‘AKA’ Airbender Will Be In LA For His First All-Star Game | As He Should

Devin Williams aka the Airbender will represent Black pitchers around the world after being named to the National League All-Star Team.

 

 

Entering Sunday Milwaukee’s Devin Williams has gone 26 consecutive appearances without giving up a single run, a streak that dates all the way back to a May 10 outing in Cincinnati.

Since that night Williams has made a case for being the most dominant pitcher, not just reliever, in the Majors, so it was a surprise to many around the sport that it took this long for him to be named to the National League All-Star Roster.

This year Williams is leading all relievers in holds and has a 1.77 ERA with 59 strikeouts and six saves in 39 games. 

 

 

During the month of June hitters only posted an average of .032 and as we just passed the halfway point of July, their average for this month stands at just 1.43.

Williams is a homegrown member to one of baseball’s most dominant staffs over the last five plus seasons. He was drafted out of Hazelwood West High School near St. Louis in the second round of the 2013 MLB Draft.

It took him some time to bring his name up through the system.  He suffered an arm injury in the Spring Training of 2017 and was forced to miss a whole year recovering from Tommy John Surgery.

In his return season in 2019, Williams was selected to the All-Star Futures Game which also featured Jo Adell who singled, scored and walked twice, Justin Dunn, Royce Lewis, McKenzie Gore and Taylor Trammell who was named the games’ MVP.

He made his Major League debut that August, but it was not until the 2020 Covid shortened season that he made a name for himself.

That year, the Airbender won the National League Rookie of the Year Award, posting a 0.33 ERA and 53 strikeouts with just nine walks.  His ERA was the lowest in a single season for someone with at least 21 innings pitched since 1913 when earned runs officially became a statistic.

Out of his three Big League seasons, 2021 was the most trying.  His 2.50 ERA looks like it will remain his career high, although about 99 percent of relievers would take that number to the bank.

 

 

The ending of his year however did not go according to plan.

During the Brewers National League Central Championship celebration, Williams punched a wall and fractured his pitching hand, ending his season that night and leaving him unavailable for their playoff run.

This season Willams is making the most of a fresh start and this All-Star selection goes to show his mindset is where it needs to be in what could be a make-or-break season for the Brew Crew.

Williams joins Mookie Betts, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Tim Anderson, Byron Buxton, Chisolm Jr. and George Springers as MLBbros to make the All-Star team.