The New York Yankees had a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning on Monday night, cruising toward what looked like a routine win over the San Diego Padres at a soggy Yankee Stadium. Carlos Rodón was dealing, Trent Grisham had gone deep, and the Bronx faithful were ready to chalk up another W. Then Devin Williams took the mound, and it all unraveled. The former All-Star reliever’s nightmare season hit a new low, as he loaded the bases and set the stage for a four-run Padres rally that flipped the script for a 4-3 San Diego victory. With Williams’ ERA ballooning to an ugly 10.03 and fans venting their frustration, this loss stung like a fastball to the ribs. Let’s break down the collapse, what’s plaguing Williams, and why the Yankees still have plenty of fight left as they eye a rebound on Tuesday.
The eighth inning started innocently enough. Williams, trying to rebuild confidence after being demoted from the closer role on April 25, struck out Martin Maldonado swinging. But the wheels came off fast. He walked Tyler Wade on six pitches, then gave up a single to Brandon Lockridge, putting runners on first and second. Williams battled back, fanning Fernando Tatis Jr. for his second K, but the drama was just heating up. With two outs, he walked Luis Arraez on four pitches to load the bases, a cardinal sin for a pitcher with his pedigree. Manager Aaron Boone had seen enough, yanking Williams for Luke Weaver, who’d been lights-out with a 0.00 ERA in 15 innings. But Weaver, tasked with a four-out save, picked a bad night to wobble. Manny Machado greeted him with a two-run double to left, scoring Wade and Lockridge to make it 3-2. Then Xander Bogaerts ripped a two-run single, plating Arraez and Machado to give San Diego a 4-3 lead. Three of those runs were charged to Williams, who watched from the dugout as the Padres celebrated their sixth straight win.
This wasn’t just a bad outing—it was a microcosm of Williams’ brutal 2025. The right-hander, acquired from Milwaukee in December to be New York’s lockdown reliever, came with a sparkling resume: 2020 NL Rookie of the Year, two All-Star nods, and a 1.83 ERA over 80⅓ innings the past two seasons, thanks to his devastating “Airbender” changeup. But in pinstripes, he’s been a shell of himself. In 11⅔ innings across 14 games, he’s allowed 15 runs (13 earned), matching the earned runs he gave up in 83 appearances with the Brewers from 2023-24. His 10.03 ERA is a far cry from the 1.86 he carried into the season, and his 15.9% walk rate and 18.2% strikeout rate are career worsts. “It’s one of those nights where you’re not only battling the hitter, I was battling the mound,” Williams said, blaming the rainy conditions for his lack of grip. But as he admitted, “We’re all given the same set of circumstances, and I couldn’t pull through.”
Yankees fans, never shy about voicing their displeasure, let Williams have it. The sparse crowd that braved two rain delays booed him off the field, a sound he’s heard too often this year—on Opening Day, after a three-run implosion against Toronto on April 25, and now this. Social media was merciless.
@RyanGarciaESM posted, “After today I never need to see Devin Williams throw a pitch for the Yankees again I think.”
@BarstoolHubbs called it a “really really bad Yankees loss,” pinning Williams as a “massive problem.”
@BarnHasSpoken2 defended Boone, writing, “Aaron Boone is not to blame for this loss, it’s all on Devin Williams. He needs to do his damn job and he’s not doing that.” The frustration’s understandable—Williams was supposed to be the answer to last year’s bullpen woes, not the cause of new ones.
Boone, ever the optimist, isn’t giving up on his struggling reliever. “The biggest thing is command and being ahead, and not putting guys on,” he said. “Stuff’s there. Stuff’s fine. I do believe he’ll get on a roll and be lights out and dominant.” The data backs Boone’s faith in Williams’ raw talent—his Airbender still generates a 41.7% whiff rate, and his 95.6 mph fastball is as lively as ever. But his 24.1% whiff rate overall is down from 35.1% last year, and those walks (nine in 11⅔ innings) are killing him. Carlos Rodón, who knows a thing or two about bouncing back from a rough 2023, offered support: “I’ve been through it. He’s such a great pitcher. Just go out there and pitch with some swagger.”
The loss wasn’t all on Williams. Weaver’s rare off-night—his first earned runs of the season—hurt, and the offense, despite Grisham’s two-run homer and Anthony Volpe’s sac fly, left runners stranded in key spots (2-for-7 with RISP). Rodón was brilliant, tossing 6⅔ scoreless innings with five strikeouts and just three hits allowed, but the bullpen let him down. The Padres’ rally also got a boost from some extracurriculars—Fernando Tatis Jr. and manager Mike Shildt were ejected after Tatis argued a strike call, firing up San Diego’s dugout. “It was (expletive) great, man,” Machado said of Shildt’s outburst. “He fired us up.”
At 19-16, the Yankees still lead the AL East, but this one stings—a third straight loss and a blown gem from Rodón. The bright spots? Grisham’s ninth homer, matching his 2024 total, and Volpe’s return from a one-game shoulder scare. The injury bug’s biting hard, though—Gerrit Cole, DJ LeMahieu, Giancarlo Stanton, and Marcus Stroman are on the IL, and Jonathan Loáisiga’s just starting his rehab from elbow surgery. Still, this team’s got fight. Aaron Judge, despite a quiet 1-for-3 night, is hitting .290 with 10 homers, and Rodón’s 2.03 ERA (with Max Fried) is carrying a rotation that’s otherwise wobbly (3-6, 6.02 ERA from other starters).
Tuesday’s matchup offers a chance to reset, with Clarke Schmidt (0-1, 4.15 ERA) facing ex-Yankee Michael King (4-1, 3.21 ERA) for the Padres. King’s been sharp, but Schmidt’s shown flashes of dominance, and the Yanks are due for a breakout at the plate. Williams, meanwhile, needs to channel his Milwaukee mojo—fewer walks, more Airbender-induced whiffs. Boone’s sticking with him, and history says he’s right: even Mariano Rivera got booed in 2003 before cementing his legend. Fans might be fed up, but writing off a two-time NL Reliever of the Year after 14 games is premature. If Williams can find his command, he could still be the bullpen beast New York traded for.
For now, Yankees Nation is licking its wounds, but this team’s been through worse. A win on Tuesday could flip the narrative, and with Judge, Volpe, and a hungry lineup ready to pounce, don’t bet against them. As for Williams? He’s hearing the boos, but he’s also hearing Rodón’s advice: pitch with swagger. Time to show the Bronx what that Airbender can do. Let’s go, Yanks—time to take one back.
