The Airbender Bends But Doesn't Break: A Glimmer of Hope for the Yankees' Shaky Bullpen
Published on: September 8, 2025
The crisp autumn air hung heavy over the Bronx on Sunday, carrying with it the scent of desperation and the faint, but growing, aroma of hope. The New York Yankees, scrapping for every inch in the tightening AL East race, eked out a crucial 4-3 victory over the pesky Toronto Blue Jays. While Max Fried provided a sturdy foundation, it was a high-wire act in the late innings that truly captured the drama – and the uncertainty – surrounding this Yankees team. Specifically, the performance of one Devin Williams, a man whose arrival in pinstripes was heralded as a game-changer, but whose tenure has thus far resembled a tightrope walk over Niagara Falls… blindfolded.
Sunday, however, offered a tantalizing glimpse of the pitcher the Yankees thought they were getting. Not the shaky, erratic hurler who’s been serving up meatballs like a rogue batting practice machine, but the "Airbender," the changeup artist who once flummoxed hitters in Milwaukee with his otherworldly disappearing act of a pitch.
Williams entered the game in the top of the eighth, the score precariously balanced at 4-3. The air crackled with tension, thicker than the late-summer humidity. Facing the heart of the Blue Jays order, a lineup that had been feasting on Yankees pitching all weekend, Williams’ task was monumental. It felt like Boone was playing with fire, tossing his volatile reliever into the inferno.
His first pitch, a wild offering that sailed to the backstop, only amplified the anxiety. Addison Barger, the pinch-hitter, promptly singled and stole second, putting the tying run in scoring position with the hulking figure of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. looming at the plate. Vladito, locked in and swinging a molten-hot bat, had been terrorizing pitchers all series. The stadium held its breath. This felt like a make-or-break moment, not just for the game, but perhaps for Williams’ Yankees career.
What followed was a microcosm of the Devin Williams experience. The breathtaking stuff, the flashes of brilliance, the ever-present threat of implosion. He battled Guerrero to a full count, the tension palpable. Then, the Airbender reappeared. A devastating changeup, dipping and diving like a knuckleball on steroids, left Guerrero flailing helplessly. Strike three. The first out, and arguably the biggest of the game.
Alejandro Kirk, another tough out, followed with a groundout, offering a momentary sigh of relief. But the reprieve was short-lived. A walk to Ernie Clement loaded the bases, bringing Ty France to the plate, representing the go-ahead run. The ghosts of blown saves past swirled around Yankee Stadium. Could Williams escape this self-made jam?
He did, inducing a weak grounder to third for the final out of the inning. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t dominant. But it was scoreless. And for a pitcher desperately searching for a foothold in the Bronx, it was a victory, a small island of stability in a turbulent sea of inconsistency.
Williams, speaking to reporters after the game, exuded a quiet confidence, reaffirming his belief in his signature pitch. "That’s what I do," he said about throwing his changeup in any count. “I’m gonna throw it no matter what. I always have a lot of confidence in it.” It’s the kind of swagger Yankees fans have been yearning to see from him. The question remains, however, whether that confidence can translate into consistent performance.
Boone, for his part, backed his embattled reliever, acknowledging the magnitude of the situation and the pressure Williams faced. "He had to go through the heart [of the order]," the manager noted. “He has been unlucky. He’s had some tough games and moments, but can get excellent hitters out in big spots. Today was huge.”
Huge indeed. But one scoreless inning, even against the heart of a potent lineup, doesn’t erase the concerns that have plagued Williams’ short Yankees tenure. His overall numbers remain a statistical roller coaster, a dizzying mix of strikeouts and walks, weak contact and towering home runs. Every outing feels like a gamble, a spin of the roulette wheel.
Boone’s decision to throw Williams into the fire against Toronto’s most dangerous hitters was a bold move, a testament to his faith in the pitcher’s potential. But it was also a risky one, a high-stakes wager for a team fighting tooth and nail for a playoff spot.
The Yankees bullpen, a source of constant frustration and anxiety for much of the season, has shown signs of life lately. Luke Weaver, Fernando Cruz, and David Bednar have all provided crucial innings, offering Boone alternative options in high-leverage situations. In fact, Bednar and Williams combined with the rest of the bullpen to shut down the Blue Jays for two scoreless frames behind Fried’s strong start on Sunday. Perhaps the much-maligned relief corps, bolstered by offseason acquisitions, is finally starting to gel.
Still, Williams remains an enigma, a pitcher capable of brilliance one moment and disaster the next. Surviving Guerrero and the Blue Jays’ middle order was a positive step, a flicker of hope in the darkness. But Boone can’t afford to rely on such high-wire acts in October. The margin for error is too slim.
The Yankees will gladly take the win and the scoreless inning, but the underlying questions about Williams’ reliability linger. He remains a work in progress, a puzzle yet to be solved. Can he harness his immense talent and become the shutdown reliever the Yankees envisioned? Only time will tell. For now, the Airbender remains a fascinating, if frustrating, paradox – a pitcher capable of bending the game to his will, but just as likely to break under the pressure.
Sunday, however, offered a tantalizing glimpse of the pitcher the Yankees thought they were getting. Not the shaky, erratic hurler who’s been serving up meatballs like a rogue batting practice machine, but the "Airbender," the changeup artist who once flummoxed hitters in Milwaukee with his otherworldly disappearing act of a pitch.
Williams entered the game in the top of the eighth, the score precariously balanced at 4-3. The air crackled with tension, thicker than the late-summer humidity. Facing the heart of the Blue Jays order, a lineup that had been feasting on Yankees pitching all weekend, Williams’ task was monumental. It felt like Boone was playing with fire, tossing his volatile reliever into the inferno.
His first pitch, a wild offering that sailed to the backstop, only amplified the anxiety. Addison Barger, the pinch-hitter, promptly singled and stole second, putting the tying run in scoring position with the hulking figure of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. looming at the plate. Vladito, locked in and swinging a molten-hot bat, had been terrorizing pitchers all series. The stadium held its breath. This felt like a make-or-break moment, not just for the game, but perhaps for Williams’ Yankees career.
What followed was a microcosm of the Devin Williams experience. The breathtaking stuff, the flashes of brilliance, the ever-present threat of implosion. He battled Guerrero to a full count, the tension palpable. Then, the Airbender reappeared. A devastating changeup, dipping and diving like a knuckleball on steroids, left Guerrero flailing helplessly. Strike three. The first out, and arguably the biggest of the game.
Alejandro Kirk, another tough out, followed with a groundout, offering a momentary sigh of relief. But the reprieve was short-lived. A walk to Ernie Clement loaded the bases, bringing Ty France to the plate, representing the go-ahead run. The ghosts of blown saves past swirled around Yankee Stadium. Could Williams escape this self-made jam?
He did, inducing a weak grounder to third for the final out of the inning. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t dominant. But it was scoreless. And for a pitcher desperately searching for a foothold in the Bronx, it was a victory, a small island of stability in a turbulent sea of inconsistency.
Williams, speaking to reporters after the game, exuded a quiet confidence, reaffirming his belief in his signature pitch. "That’s what I do," he said about throwing his changeup in any count. “I’m gonna throw it no matter what. I always have a lot of confidence in it.” It’s the kind of swagger Yankees fans have been yearning to see from him. The question remains, however, whether that confidence can translate into consistent performance.
Boone, for his part, backed his embattled reliever, acknowledging the magnitude of the situation and the pressure Williams faced. "He had to go through the heart [of the order]," the manager noted. “He has been unlucky. He’s had some tough games and moments, but can get excellent hitters out in big spots. Today was huge.”
Huge indeed. But one scoreless inning, even against the heart of a potent lineup, doesn’t erase the concerns that have plagued Williams’ short Yankees tenure. His overall numbers remain a statistical roller coaster, a dizzying mix of strikeouts and walks, weak contact and towering home runs. Every outing feels like a gamble, a spin of the roulette wheel.
Boone’s decision to throw Williams into the fire against Toronto’s most dangerous hitters was a bold move, a testament to his faith in the pitcher’s potential. But it was also a risky one, a high-stakes wager for a team fighting tooth and nail for a playoff spot.
The Yankees bullpen, a source of constant frustration and anxiety for much of the season, has shown signs of life lately. Luke Weaver, Fernando Cruz, and David Bednar have all provided crucial innings, offering Boone alternative options in high-leverage situations. In fact, Bednar and Williams combined with the rest of the bullpen to shut down the Blue Jays for two scoreless frames behind Fried’s strong start on Sunday. Perhaps the much-maligned relief corps, bolstered by offseason acquisitions, is finally starting to gel.
Still, Williams remains an enigma, a pitcher capable of brilliance one moment and disaster the next. Surviving Guerrero and the Blue Jays’ middle order was a positive step, a flicker of hope in the darkness. But Boone can’t afford to rely on such high-wire acts in October. The margin for error is too slim.
The Yankees will gladly take the win and the scoreless inning, but the underlying questions about Williams’ reliability linger. He remains a work in progress, a puzzle yet to be solved. Can he harness his immense talent and become the shutdown reliever the Yankees envisioned? Only time will tell. For now, the Airbender remains a fascinating, if frustrating, paradox – a pitcher capable of bending the game to his will, but just as likely to break under the pressure.
Back to news