There isn’t really much doubt about pitching being an art. Successful hurlers know how to paint the corners and make the ball dance. Numbers and statistics are a huge part of any ballplayers career but for a pitcher, numbers don’t always tell the whole story.
One player in particular has seen his Earned Run Average rise the last couple of years but is still effective is New York Mets reliever Devin Williams. Williams first six Major League seasons were significantly different than his most recent two. There has been a change of scenery but the right-hander is still someone that most teams would want in their bullpen.
Will MLBbro Devin “Airbender” Williams Take the Next Step As the Milwaukee Brewers Closer In 2023?
The Milwaukee Brewers selected Williams with their second round pick in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. He didn’t zoom through the Brewers organization because he was being groomed for longevity. In his first four professional seasons (all in Minor League A ball) he compiled an E.R.A of 3.79 while averaging a strikeout per inning pitched. That’s progress for a young man drafted out of high school. The 2017 season was a challenging year in that he suffered a season ending elbow injury in spring training.
He handled the setback well and in 2019 he took command of the upper levels of the minor leagues with a 7-2 record and an E.R.A of 2.21. He retired the only batter he faced in the MLB futures game that year and on August 7, 2019 made his Major League debut fanning the first batter he ever faced.
The Missouri native soon become a dominant reliever over the next handful of years. He was the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year with a 4-1 record and a 0.33 E.R.A. The honors didn’t stop there as he was named an All Star in both 2022 and 2023. In six seasons with the Brewers he recorded a record of 27-10 with an E.R.A of 1.83, his “Airbender” helped him strikeout 375 batters during that time period.
The regular season is important but the playoffs are vital. Williams gave up a 9th inning homerun in the deciding game of a 2024 National League Wild Card series against the Mets and that proved to be the end of his tenure in Milwaukee.
What is the “Airbender”?
”It’s the way my wrist works, the way I’m able to manipulate the ball is something unique, uniquely me” he explained to ESPN about his signature pitch. It’s essentially a changeup but comes at an angle that isn’t common for right-handed pitchers.
The “Airbender” and Williams arrived in New York for the 2025 season after the Yankees made a trade with the Brewers. It was a different type of year for him. He lost the closer’s role in late April of that season. He rebounded to not only regain the closer role but set career highs in appearances and innings pitched. His E.R.A was also the highest it ever was at 4.79 but at the same time he recorded 90 strikeouts and 18 saves. Despite winning a playoff game with the Yankees he was on the move again.
Williams didn’t go far as he signed a three year contract with the New York Mets. He finished the 2026 season with a higher than usual E.R.A of 4.43 but his strikeout to walk ratio improve and earned 16 saves. On the surface it seems he may be declining but its exactly that, the surface. His underlying pitching numbers show that he can still pitch in the busiest market in the country.
“It was a challenge at first but I love being here and taking the train to the field everyday” he mentioned on social media about the adjustment of playing in New York. Williams has two more years left on his contract. He’s healthy, the mechanics and strikeouts are there. If the E.R.A can drops just a touch, he could return to dominant status rather quickly and the “Airbender” will be talked about regularly again.
