Though Devin Williams may only throw one to two innings during a game, he makes sure to leave it all on the field during that time. And opposing teams have had difficulty at the plate when Williams is on the mound.
The Milwaukee Brewers are fighting each day for a spot in the postseason and Williams will continue to play a key factor in the Brewers’ quest to play deep into October.
With 16 games left Milwaukee is two games out of the final NL Wild Card slot. They are 7-3 over their last 10 games. Only the LA Dodgers have a better record over
Williams put together two impressive performances against the New York Yankees this past Friday and Saturday. The Brewers were able to win the series, which they needed to do and Williams made sure to contribute in a big way.
He’s been a man on a mission since his All-Star weekend festivities and has taken over the closer role vacated by the Josh Hader trade.
On Friday, September 16th, he threw one inning, striking out two as the Brewers won 7-6. The next day, he was perfect as he struck out two and picked up his 13th save of the season.
It seems as if Williams continues to get better each season. He’s only been in the league for four seasons and his future is bright.
This month, Williams has made the most of his opportunities late in games. He’s made six appearances and has picked up a win and four saves during that stretch.
Let’s not forget that he’s only allowed one run. In fact, he’s only surrendered 11 runs 56.1 innings pitched. When you mention K -Kings out of the pen, Williams has 86 strikeouts.
He’s firing on all cylinders at the right time. Helping the Brewers advance to the playoffs would be a redemption song for Williams. Last season, he took himself out of the playoffs by punching a wall.
He definitely doesn’t want to put himself in a position like that again.
Williams knows that his team can make it to the postseason. His teammates cannot take these games for granted. It’s do-or-die for the Brewers right now and Williams is going to be that leader on the field and in the clubhouse and do whatever it takes to help his team get to the postseason.
The 27-year-old is setting himself up to have a successful career and be one of the MLBbros that we talk about for years to come. Let’s see how much of an impact he makes during these last few weeks of the season.
Charles Nyonga spoke with Orioles #MLBbro relief pitcher Dillon Tate. The melanated mound marauder is deep in the playoff mix and says he wouldn’t mind joining his teammate Cedric Mullins on Team USA for the World Baseball Classic in 2023.
This year’s MLB trade deadline was one to remember, with several stars finding new homes. While it is easy to think that positional players and big bats are what you need in October, the real unsung heroes are the elite pitching with not just the starters, but in the bullpen. Whenever your team gets in a jam, it’s critical for the bullpen to try and get out of it and keep the team in the game.
Two moves that could be really crucial for the upcoming playoffs, but not as discussed compared to the bigger names, is Mychal Givens getting dealt to the first-place Mets, and Jay Jackson getting promoted to the team nipping at the Mets’ heels. Jackson’s promotion to the defending World Champion Atlanta Braves bullpen came with the departure of both Will Smith and Jesse Chavez.
Givens started this season in Chicago with the Cubs. He spent the first six seasons of his career in Baltimore, getting traded to the Rockies back in 2020, and had brief stints with them and in Cincinnati with the Reds, before ending up on the north side of Chicago.
During his tenure in Chicago, he earned a 6-2 record, with a 2.66 ERA. The Cubs are currently 15.5 games back from the final wild card slot, so it makes sense that they would be willing to relinquish one of their best relievers.
His debut in Queens could not have gone any worse. He made his first appearance on August 3rd in D.C. and got in the game in the ninth inning with the Mets having a comfortable 9-0 lead. He gave up five runs in two-thirds of the inning and couldn’t finish the game.
He ended up pitching again on Friday against the Braves and did significantly better. He pitched one inning, giving up no runs, no hits, with just one walk in the 9-6 loss. A much-needed bounce back performance and huge confidence booster for the eight-year vet, who was obviously a bit nervous in his first outing for a contending team.
The Braves are 4.5 games behind the Mets and five games up in the wild card race, so they are still making adjustments to the roster as they chase NY.
Going down south within the division, Jackson got promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett as the trade deadline came to a close. This is the 34-year-old’s fourth run in the majors, as he played with the Padres back in 2015, then made his return in 2019 with the Brewers, once again in 2021 with the Giants, and finally now with the Braves.
With Jackson posting a 1.80 ERA in 10 appearances with the Stripers, the Braves clearly felt that they could trust him to help carry the load for one of the best bullpens in baseball. However, as he turns 35 in late October, this could very much be Jackson’s last shot to have a permanent place on an MLB roster. He has been an underdog throughout his entire career, bouncing throughout the minors, spending brief time in the majors, and part of his career in the Japanese league. It’s time for him to finally overcome that obstacle and stay up in the majors.
The NL East is going to be an absolute force in the playoffs, as it looks like both the Braves and Mets will be playing in the postseason, and the Phillies are looking like they may sneak in as well. All three teams have reasons to believe they can be in the Fall Classic, but it will be the elite bullpens that will separate the contenders from the pretenders.
The trade deadline in sports is always full of sellers and buyers. Contending teams look to increase their chances for playoff runs, and teams who are behind in the standings look towards the future. This is why the Milwaukee Brewer’s trade of closer Josh Hader shocked many around the league.
They have competed for the last two years with their biggest strength being their pitching, most notably the bullpen consisting of two All-Star caliber relievers in MLBbro Devin Williams and Josh Hader.
Williams alluded to the loss of Hader being tough to handle. While they did get a substantial complement of pitchers in return, it is no doubt that the Brewers will have a tougher time fighting to keep pace in the National League Central division race as we approach the latter portion of the season.
With the departure of Hader, more is expected from the aforementioned reliever Williams. Williams is an established bullpen weapon and one of the best relievers in Major League Baseball. An All-Star this season, Williams has been dominant since being called up to the show in 2019 with a career ERA of 2.00. Most of his work has been done as the Brewer’s set up man, but his role could be changing. With the departure of Hader, Williams may now be the featured arm out the Milwaukee bullpen.
Yes, reliever Taylor Rogers comes to the squad with more experience, and is currently second in MLB in Saves. But Williams is a locker room presence in Milwaukee, and fans are already behind him. Brewer manager Craig Counsell is well aware of this and knows he will have to make good use of both, Williams and Rogers to give the team the best chance to win. Williams was visibly unsatisfied with the decision to move on from Hader as displayed in an interview when asked about the trade. “I don’t really have a lot to say to be honest with you,” Williams said. “I don’t know.”
MLBbro Devin Williams got his first chance at the closing position on Wednesday, the day after the infamous Hader trade, but did not fare well. He gave up a game winning, walk-off home run to Pittsburgh Pirates’ outfielder Bryan Reynolds. This was the first earned run allowed by Williams since May 10th… over two whole months… so there is little cause for concern.
In fact, this is the first home run Williams has surrendered all season. Williams is still having a dominant season with a 1.77 ERA and 66 Ks in 40.2 IP. It may take some time to adjust to his new role, or even just to adjust to life with a new running mate in Rogers. But as he has consistently shown in his 4 MLB seasons, Williams is a bona fide reliever. With him still coming out the bullpen, the Brewers still have life in the National League Central race.
Recent Comments