Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Aaron Judge Stands by Devin Williams After Yankees Closer Implodes in the Ninth

Yankees sat at a 99.4% win expectancy...

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

It was supposed to be a routine finish for the Yankees. With a commanding four-run lead heading into the ninth inning, the game was essentially in the bag. Devin Williams, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers over the offseason, was on the mound, ready to seal the victory. Few could have predicted what happened next.

The Yankees’ win expectancy sat at an overwhelming 99.4% when Devin Williams quickly got Kameron Misner to ground out with just his third pitch. From that point, however, things took a sudden and surprising turn for the worse.

wheeeeeee! pic.twitter.com/hJnJOfPWJG
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 19, 2025

For most of the Yankees, Williams’ slider, dubbed the “Airbender,” had been a source of fascination and excitement during the spring. The pitch was something coaches and teammates couldn’t stop talking about, as they watched it tear through the strike zone during early practices at the George M. Steinbrenner Field. But what was supposed to be a solid inning of work turned into a nightmare for the new closer, unsurprisingly, at the same George M. Steinbrenner Field.

As the ninth inning wore on, Williams, a two-time National League Reliever of the Year, struggled. He allowed Brandon Lowe to tie the game with a two-run single, followed by Jonathan Aranda’s walk-off home run an inning later, giving the Rays a 10-8 victory. The sudden collapse not only handed Tampa Bay a dramatic win, but it also ended the Yankees’ five-game winning streak.

Welp… pic.twitter.com/8MCay2h4Gy
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 19, 2025

“It’s tough,” Williams said after the game. “A four-run lead, you’d like to get in and get out. I made some good pitches, made some bad ones. Not enough good ones today.”

Aaron Judge Backs ‘Best Closer in the Game’ Devin Williams

Despite the disappointing loss, Aaron Judge wasn’t about to let his new teammate shoulder the blame. Williams has been a key offseason acquisition for the Yankees, and Judge knows the value he brings to the team.

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“We went out and got him for a reason. He’s the best closer in the game,” Judge said. “We’ve got a long season. This guy is going to save a lot of ballgames for us and help us out. I’m not worried at all. He knows what he needs to do. He’ll go out there and figure it out.”

Aaron Judge isn't worried about Devin Williams pic.twitter.com/nQVWWQPBtK
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 20, 2025

Judge made it clear that despite this tough outing, the team remains fully behind Williams, and there is no reason for concern moving forward. “Everybody in this room, we want him coming out of the bullpen – especially in a tight game, close game, guys on base, not on base. That’s who we want on the mound. Nobody in here is worried. He’s going to get the job done,” Judge added.

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While the closer may be off to a rough start in New York, his track record speaks for itself, and the belief in his ability to bounce back is strong within the Yankees’ locker room. The season is long, and this setback won’t define Williams’ tenure with the Yankees. With a proven track record and the backing of his teammates, there’s little doubt he’ll find his rhythm and continue to close out games in dominant fashion.

Aaron Judge

Devin Williams

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

mlb

Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.