The Mets introduced a high-powered reliever who is aware that another one is looming.
Devin Williams, who has been a closer and a setup man in his career and had a spurt in both roles with the Yankees last season, is like many Mets fans and is hoping he’ll get late-inning help: He also wants Edwin Díaz in the club’s bullpen.
“I think it’s just a good situation,” Williams said in his introductory video call on Friday. “When he comes back, I think we’ll have a really good back of the pen. So more good arms is always a good thing.”
The Mets believe they have landed one good arm in Williams, who signed a three-year, $51 million pact with an encouraging history with David Stearns and a mixed history with New York.
Williams, a Missouri native who was drafted by the Brewers in 2013, had not experienced a big city until last season, when he was transferred from Milwaukee to The Bronx.
The annual walking campaign that followed was chaotic.
In his three previous seasons with the Brewers, he had pitched a 1.66 ERA and allowed a total of 26 earned runs. In 2025 with the Yankees, he finished with a 4.79 ERA and 33 earned runs.
He had lost his closer role by the end of April, suffered another series of implosions in late July and early August, and became accustomed to loud boos from his home crowd.
It didn’t help that Williams — who showed up to spring training in Tampa with a beard he was reluctant to trim — became the face of the change in the Yankees’ facial hair policy.
In analyzing the issues in certain parts of his season, Williams placed the blame on correctable issues rather than discomfort in those around him.
“I feel like there were actually a lot of factors, some mechanical, some pitch selection type things,” the 31-year-old said. “Looking back on it, I think about that a little bit and use that to prepare for next season.”
Williams has acknowledged there was a learning curve in getting comfortable with the Yankees and in New York, but he said the city is “familiar now.”
He took the Subway to Yankees games and now may have to learn the 7 line.
He withstood the blows from opponents and his own fans and bounced back, finishing the 2025 season with 13 consecutive appearances without allowing a point (four of which came in the postseason).
“I feel comfortable there,” Williams said of New York.
He also feels comfortable with Stearns, who had been his president of baseball operations in Milwaukee, and is increasingly comfortable with an arsenal that is expanding.
Williams emerged as one of the game’s most dominant relievers — he was the third-most valuable reliever (behind Emmanuel Clase and Díaz, per FanGraphs) from 2020-25, in which he had a 2.38 ERA with 14.29 strikeouts per nine innings — behind a unique, often unhittable changeup nicknamed the “Airbender” and a four-seamer of the mid-’90s.
While both remained statistically elite pitches last season — each produced a whiff at least 37 percent of the time — they were less effective in the results.
Opposing hitters hit .341 against his changeup with five home runs in 2025, after not homering against the field all of 2024 (not counting Pete Alonso’s season-saving playoff explosion).
Opponents increased their batting average against his fastball from .111 to .204.
Maybe it can help to be less predictable. Williams revealed he has been “tinkering” with a cutter he threw just twice last season and hopes to unveil a new hard slider.
“See if I can add that to what I’m doing and give myself a little more breathing room with the fastball and the variety,” said Williams, who added that he felt like he “needed” to expand his repertoire for a while.
A Williams who can immediately feel comfortable in his environment with double the weapons helps explain why the Mets invested $51 million in a relief pitcher coming off a down season who might not be a closer.
And why did Williams, who had other suitors, choose the Mets?
“They’re a team that wants to win, you know?” Williams said. “Steve [Cohen is] He is doing everything he can to bring a winning product to market, and I would like to be a part of that.”
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