Sometimes all it takes is the right motivation, and sometimes that can be a spur that inflicts pain, but only the necessary pain, and that’s what Aaron Boone knows how to get the best out of each of his players in the New York Yankees.
In the case of Devin Williams, it was a matter of ‘hitting’ him in the pride, direct, without mercy, so that he would wake up and demonstrate the reason for his presence in the Bronx Bombers, as well as his leading role in the Yankees’ pitching staff that he earned with his great talent.
Williams’ complicated start
‘The Airbender’ has had a very complicated start to the season in 2025, with an ERA of 11.25 and a record of 0-2, which is why he was ‘demoted’ by Boone and the Yankees, and in his place came in Luke Weaver.
Perhaps that was the main reason why after a series of really disastrous outings he finally ‘got his act together’, and he did so at the worst time for his team, and the best time for him, during a tough night in Baltimore, where he delivered a flawless eighth inning, which restored confidence to the fans and Aaron Boone.
Self-criticism, the best way to face adversity
This is what Devin Williams said with an enviable serenity after a doubleheader sweep against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium, after the second game was postponed due to weather issues and was played the next day: “With how things have been going lately, I’m not surprised. Being a closer is a position you have to earn, and you have to keep earning it to stay in that role. So lately I haven’t been doing that“
And on his ‘necessary demotion’ he concluded: “It’s disappointing. You work for years to get to that point, and to have it taken away from you is not nice. But I can’t say it’s undeserved,” said a self-critical Williams.
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