The New York Mets are in agreement with reliever Devin Williams on a three-year contract guaranteeing $51 million, a deal that also includes significant deferrals. Williams became one of baseball’s best closers with the Brewers, posting a 0.33 ERA across 27 innings during the shortened 2020 season while winning both National League Rookie of the Year and Reliever of the Year. He continued his dominance over the next several seasons, and after becoming Milwaukee’s full-time closer, he recorded 36 saves with a 1.53 ERA and earned his second Reliever of the Year award. Across his first four full seasons, he produced a 1.75 ERA while striking out 40.5 percent of opposing hitters.
After allowing a pivotal postseason home run to Pete Alonso, Milwaukee traded him to the Yankees. The 31-year-old struggled mightily early in New York, to the point where the team reportedly considered releasing him, but he eventually rebounded. Williams was excellent leading into the All-Star break, yet inconsistency returned afterward, and the Yankees replaced him as closer following the addition of David Bednar. He finished the season with a career-worst 4.79 ERA despite striking out nearly 40 percent of hitters. Much of the damage stemmed from a .339 opponent batting average on balls in play with runners on, by far the highest of his career.
Despite the poor results, Williams’ underlying metrics remain elite. His fastball sits around 94 mph, but his standout pitch is his unique “Airbender” changeup, which generates exceptional movement and has held opponents below .200 in every full season. Those traits made him a popular buy-low target, and the Mets are betting that his 2025 performance was an outlier. Williams is expected to take on a major late-inning role in Carlos Mendoza’s bullpen and currently projects as the team’s closer unless the Mets decide to re-sign Edwin Díaz.