The Yankee captain still has faith in closer Devin Williams.
After the game, the reigning American League MVP addressed Williams’ struggles. “We went out and got him for a reason. He’s the best closer in the game. We got a long season. This guy’s gonna 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. He’ll figure it out. Everybody in this room, we want him coming out of the bullpen, especially in a tight game,” Judge said, per the New York Daily News’ Gary Phillips on X.
“That’s who we want on the mound. Nobody in here is worried. He’s gonna get the job done,” he added.
The Yankees need Devin Williams to return to form
Judge may not be worried that Williams blew a four-run lead in the ninth inning but Yankees fans are growing a bit uneasy. After the Rays tied the score and sent the game to extra innings, Jonathan Aranda hit a walk-off two-run home run in the 10th inning off Yoendrys Gomez to give the Rays the 10-8 victory.
New York acquired Williams in an offseason trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Yankees avoided arbitration by reaching an agreement with the closer on an $8.6 million contract for 2025.
The two-time Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year is replacing former Yankees closer Clay Holmes, who signed with the New York Mets in free agency over the offseason. Williams is considered a significant upgrade. But his struggles in pinstripes, which began with a shaky Yankees debut performance, have been alarming.
Still, Judge’s vote of confidence should help calm any rising tensions within the locker room. New York took a five-game winning streak into Saturday’s game. Despite the loss, the Yankees still hold a one-game lead over the second-place Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East.
Judge went 3-5 on Saturday with three RBI and a run scored. He’s now slashing a blistering .397/.505/.731. The Yankees wrap up their four-game series with the Rays on Sunday afternoon.
