FORMER TEAMMATE OF DEVIN WILLIAMS COMES TO HIS DEFENSE

Look, I’ve been giving Devin Williams the business lately—and with good reason. My beef started the moment he told Yankees fans he “didn’t feel like himself” early on... and then made good on it by single-handedly draining the life out of this team. It became painfully obvious that this guy wasn’t closing games—he was closing doors on wins.

Meanwhile, Luke Weaver was the one who had the guts, the grit, and, dare I say, the actual results. I said it after the World Series, I’m saying it again now: Weaver was the guy. The Yankees pulling Williams from the closer role felt less like a baseball move and more like a wellness check. “Is Devin sad? Quick, somebody get him a stress ball and a long reliever.”

Then Matt Blake waddled out of the dugout and gave us the ol' “stop being mean” routine—telling fans it “doesn’t help” to criticize a guy who's actively lighting games on fire. Listen, Matt: fans can boo, cheer, yell, groan, or throw a shoe at the wall. That’s the gig. You don’t get to play guidance counselor for the Bronx. We’re fans, not therapists. Zip it.

Now we’ve got Christian Yelich chiming in with the “everything’s fine” speech. According to Yelich, Devin’s one of the best closers in the game, and we’re all overreacting to a “small sample size.” Oh, good. That classic closer stat: Vibes per inning.

Let me ask you this: if it’s Game 7 of the World Series and Williams decides he’s “not feeling like himself,” and blows the series. Are we still calling it a small sample size? Are we still lighting scented candles and whispering affirmations? No. We’re throwing chairs. And probably beer.

The reality is simple: Williams was brought in to do a job—get outs, close games, lock it down. Instead, he melted down. And when that happens in New York, fans let you know. That’s not cruelty; that’s currency in this city. You want to wear the pinstripes? Earn them.

I respect Yelich defending his guy—really, I do. But here in the Bronx, respect is earned every time you toe that rubber. I’m not rooting against Williams, but right now, I’m out on him. If he turns it around, I’ll be the first one clapping. But until then? I’m just calling it how I see it.

That’s the take.