The Yankees launched their season with a tense 4-2 Opening Day victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, highlighted by Devin Williams‘ emotionally charged yet shaky debut against his former team – a ninth-inning rollercoaster that nearly derailed before ending in triumph.
Williams, who joined New York in December’s headline-making trade that sent Nestor Cortes and prospect Caleb Durbin to Milwaukee, entered the ninth with a comfortable three-run advantage only to find himself in a bases-loaded jam that evoked memories of last season’s late-inning collapses under Clay Holmes.
Facing his ex-teammates for the first time, Williams immediately found trouble by allowing a single, double, and walk to load the bases with nobody out, sending nervous murmurs through the packed stadium. This letdown impression scared the Bronx so much that Yankees fans began to boo him.
“About six minutes into his official Yankee career, Devin Williams is getting booed,” wrote Newsday’s Laura Albanese, “Bases loaded, no outs.”
Williams makes ‘kind of weird’ Yankees debut
For Williams, the pre-game ceremonies created a surreal atmosphere as he stood opposite his baseball family since 2019, now wearing Yankee pinstripes.
“When we did the opening ceremony and everything, you’re looking across and seeing all the faces that I’m familiar with,” Williams said. “Being on the other side was kind of weird for me.”
Even before his warmups, Williams had to wait due to a replay challenge that delayed the bottom of the eighth. The uncertainty — combined with the high-leverage stakes — added tension to his pinstriped debut.
“It was different,” he said. “It was cool. Got the first one out of the way.”
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
Crisis turned to celebration
Williams threw an exhausting 36 pitches – near his career high and remarkably heavy for a season opener. Yet when it mattered most, with Christian Yelich representing Milwaukee’s final chance, Williams blew a 95-mph fastball past the former MVP to secure the victory and ignite the Bronx faithful.
“I didn’t think my command was the best today, to be honest with you,” said Williams postgame. “But they also laid off some really good pitches at the same time. Though they had a really good plan against me — there’s no one that knows me better than that team over there, and they really made me work for this.”
Aaron Judge, who contributed an RBI double earlier, expressed admiration for Williams’ ability to handle the pressure-cooker situation.
“The toughest three outs in the game are the last three, and to do it against your former team — the team that knows you — that was impressive,” Judge said.
Recalling the team’s blown saves in 2024, Judge emphasized the importance of mental toughness.
“I know [Williams] probably wasn’t happy with some of the walks or what happened, but at the end of the day he got a save, we got a win,” he added.
Boone nearly pulled the plug
Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed postgame that Williams came perilously close to being removed after walking Jake Bauers and battling through a full count with Brice Turang.
“I was getting very uncomfortable to where he was from a pitch count standpoint,” Boone said. “Love that he didn’t break. [Yelich] was going to be his last batter, no matter what.”
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
Williams’ Yankees debut stats:
Inning: 9th
Batters Faced: 6
Pitches: 36
Strikeouts: 2 (Chourio, Yelich)
Earned Runs: 1
Save: First with Yankees
Top Velocity: 95 mph (Final pitch)
The road ahead
Despite the ninth-inning drama, the Yankees’ 2025 strategy passed its initial test. Carlos Rodon delivered 5.1 solid innings, allowing just one run. Austin Wells made history as the first Yankees catcher to lead off Opening Day with a homer. Anthony Volpe added a solo blast, while Judge contributed a third-inning RBI double that caromed off third base.
Combine those elements with Williams’ high-wire escape act, and the Yankees secured a memorable victory to begin their campaign.
“It was a great win all around from the very beginning,” Judge said. “You go to the ninth inning, you’ve got a guy that just got traded from a team and goes out there. … It was a great win.”
While Williams’ performance wasn’t flawless, it demonstrated something perhaps more valuable – resilience. For a Yankees squad that struggled closing games last season, this quality could prove crucial. If the changeup specialist can sharpen his command and find his rhythm, he might become the reliable late-game anchor New York has desperately sought.
More importantly, the Yankees discovered something vital in their season opener: Williams possesses the mental toughness to weather trouble, regroup, and finish strong – even against those who know his every tendency.
Good article, good summary. Touched well on the highlights.