Devin Williams is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers. He was born in Florissant, Missouri, and attended Hazelwood West High School, where he played baseball, soccer, and basketball. Williams was drafted by the Brewers in the second round of the 2013 MLB draft.
Williams made his MLB debut in 2019 and quickly became one of the best relievers in the league. In 2020, he won the National League Rookie of the Year Award and the National League Reliever of the Year Award. He was also named to the All-MLB Second Team.
Details about Devin Williams’s Background:
- Name: Devin Williams
- Position: Relief Pitcher
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 225 lbs
- Team: Milwaukee Brewers
- Age: 29
- Nationality: American
- Previous Clubs: Milwaukee Brewers
Williams is known for his unique changeup, which has been dubbed the “screwball.” The screwball is a breaking ball that spins in the opposite direction of a traditional curveball. This makes it very difficult for batters to hit.
Williams has been a valuable asset to the Brewers bullpen since his debut. He is a consistent performer who can get outs in any situation. He is also a key part of the Brewers’ championship aspirations.
In 2023, Williams had a solid season, posting a 3.48 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched. He was named to the National League All-Star team for the second time in his career.
Williams is a young and talented pitcher who has the potential to be one of the best relievers in baseball for many years to come.
Strengths & Weaknesses of Devin Williams:
- Devin Williams is a right-handed relief pitcher who has two primary pitches: a four-seam fastball and a circle changeup. His fastball ranges from 94 to 98 miles per hour, with good velocity and command. His changeup, nicknamed the “Airbender”, is his signature pitch and one of the most unique and effective pitches in baseball. It has a screwball-like movement that breaks sharply down and away from right-handed hitters and in on left-handed hitters, with an average spin rate of 2852 revolutions per minute.
- Williams’ strengths include his ability to generate swings and misses, induce weak contact, and strike out batters at a high rate. He has a career strikeout rate of 40.7%, which is well above the league average of 21.9%. He also has a career ground ball rate of 46.7%, which is higher than the league average of 43.4%. He has a career ERA of 1.91, which is better than the league average of 4.14.
- Williams’ weaknesses include his tendency to struggle with walks, home runs, and durability. He has a career walk rate of 10.5%, which is higher than the league average of 8.1%. He also has a career home run to fly ball ratio of 13.6%, which is higher than the league average of 10.8%. He has had some injuries in his career, such as a shoulder issue in 2020 and a hand fracture in 2021, that have limited his availability and performance.
Tactical role of Devin Williams:
Williams’ role within the team is to be a dominant setup man or closer who can pitch in high-leverage situations and preserve leads or secure wins. He usually pitches in the eighth or ninth inning, depending on the game situation and the availability of Josh Hader, the other elite reliever on the Brewers. He contributes to the overall strategy by keeping the opposing hitters off balance with his fastball-changeup combination, and by striking out batters when needed.
Hobbies & Interests of Devin Williams:
- He enjoys playing video games, especially first-person shooters and sports games. He likes to compete online with his friends and teammates, as well as stream his gameplay on Twitch. He also likes to watch other gamers and learn from their strategies and skills.
- He is a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, the MLB team from his hometown. He grew up watching and idolizing Cardinals players, such as Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Adam Wainwright. He also likes to attend their games and support them on social media. He has a friendly rivalry with his Brewers teammates, especially Josh Hader, who is a fan of the Baltimore Orioles.
- He is interested in music and plays the drums. He likes to listen to rap and hip-hop music, as well as rock and metal bands. Some of his favorite artists are Drake, Lil Wayne, Metallica, and Slipknot. He also likes to rap and freestyle with his fellow pitchers, such as Brent Suter and Corbin Burnes.
- He likes to watch movies and TV shows, especially comedies and action films. Some of his favorites are The Hangover, Step Brothers, The Office, and Breaking Bad. He also likes to watch documentaries and learn new things.
- He is fond of animals and has a pet dog named Zeus, a German shepherd mix. He adopted him from a shelter in 2018 and considers him a part of his family. He also supports animal welfare causes and donates to various charities.
Net worth of Devin Williams:
Devin Williams has a net worth of about $2 million as of 2023, according to some sources. He has earned most of his wealth from his professional baseball career, as well as from endorsements and sponsorships. He signed a one-year contract with the Brewers for $3.35 million in 2023, avoiding arbitration. He is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
Personal life of Devin Williams:
Devin Williams was born on September 21, 1994, in Florissant, Missouri. He grew up as a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, the MLB team from his hometown. He attended Christian Brothers College High School until his sophomore year, when he transferred to Hazelwood West High School in Hazelwood, Missouri. He was a standout pitcher and outfielder for his high school team, earning All-State honors as a senior. He also played basketball and football in high school.
Williams was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2013 MLB draft, with the 54th overall pick. He decided to sign with the Brewers for a $1.35 million signing bonus, rather than enroll at the University of Missouri, where he had committed to play college baseball.
Williams made his MLB debut in 2019 and had a breakout season in 2020, when he was named the National League Rookie of the Year and Reliever of the Year. He became the first relief pitcher to win both awards in the same season. He also made his first All-Star appearance in 2021 and his second in 2023.
Williams is known for his signature pitch, the circle changeup, which he calls the “Airbender”. It is one of the most unique and effective pitches in baseball, with a screwball-like movement that breaks sharply down and away from right-handed hitters and in on left-handed hitters. He also throws a four-seam fastball that ranges from 94 to 98 miles per hour.
Williams is active on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, where he posts about his baseball career, his hobbies and interests, and his family and friends. He has over 100k followers on Instagram and over 30k followers on Twitter.
Family of Devin Williams:
Williams is the son of Angela Williams, and has two older brothers. Donshae Williams, the youngest of Williams’ two older brothers, was shot and killed in Cincinnati in August 2011, just before Williams started his junior year at Withrow High. In December 2015, Williams said of the incident, “Just a bad night.”
Williams is not married and does not have any children. He has not publicly dated anyone and has kept his personal life private. He may have dated someone in the past, but it has never been a topic of discussion on the internet. He may also be waiting for the right time and the right person to be in a relationship.
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Height of Devin Williams:
Williams has an athletic and muscular physique. He stands at 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs around 192 pounds. He has black dreadlocks and brown eyes.
Contracts of Devin Williams:
Williams has played for one team, the Milwaukee Brewers, throughout his MLB career. He signed a one-year contract with the Brewers for $3.35 million in 2023, avoiding arbitration. His previous contracts with the Brewers were:
- $714,500 for 2022
- $681,100 for 2021
- $566,300 for 2020
- $555,000 for 2019
Brands Associated:
Williams has not been associated with any major brands or endorsements so far in his career. However, he may attract some lucrative deals in the future, given his popularity and performance as one of the best relievers in baseball.
Teams with Devin Williams Played:
Williams has played for one team, the Milwaukee Brewers, throughout his MLB career. He made his MLB debut with the Brewers in 2019 and has been their ace reliever since then. He has helped the Brewers reach the postseason three times: in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Before making his MLB debut, Williams played for various minor league teams affiliated with the Brewers organization. These include:
- Arizona League Brewers (Rookie) in 2013
- Helena Brewers (Rookie) in 2014
- Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Class A) in 2014 and 2015
- Brevard County Manatees (Class A Advanced) in 2016
- Biloxi Shuckers (Double-A) in 2017 and 2018
- Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Triple-A) in 2018
- San Antonio Missions (Triple-A) in 2019
- Milwaukee Brewers (MLB) in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023
Awards & Achievements of Devin Williams:
- He has been named an MLB All-Star twice, in 2021 and 2023. He was the only relief pitcher selected by the fans for the 2021 All-Star Game, where he pitched a scoreless inning and struck out two batters.
- He has won the National League Rookie of the Year and Reliever of the Year awards in 2020, becoming the first relief pitcher to win both awards in the same season. He had a remarkable season, posting a 0.33 ERA, 53 strikeouts, and four saves in 22 games. He also had a historic strikeout rate of 53%, the highest ever for a pitcher with at least 20 innings pitched.
- He has been named the National League Reliever of the Month three times, in September 2020, August 2021, and September 2023. In each of those months, he did not allow a single earned run and recorded at least 20 strikeouts.
- He has pitched in the postseason twice, in 2020 and 2021. He has a career postseason record of 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA and nine strikeouts in four games. His best postseason performance was in Game 2 of the 2020 NL Wild Card Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he threw two scoreless innings and struck out four batters.
- He has thrown a perfect inning (three batters faced, three strikeouts) six times in his career, most recently on September 18, 2023, against the Washington Nationals. He is one of only four pitchers in MLB history to have six or more perfect innings in their careers.
| Year | Team | W | L | ERA | G | SV | IP | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | MIL | 0 | 0 | 3.95 | 13 | 0 | 13.2 | 14 | 1.244 |
| 2020 | MIL | 4 | 1 | 0.33 | 22 | 4 | 27.0 | 53 | 0.630 |
| 2021 | MIL | 2 | 2 | 2.50 | 39 | 15 | 36.0 | 58 | 1.000 |
| 2022 | MIL | 4 | 4 | 2.73 | 37 | 9 | 29.2 | 51 | 1.145 |
| 2023 | MIL | 8 | 3 | 1.59 | 59 | 35 | 56.2 | 84 | 0.918 |
Scouting Report of Devin Williams:
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Fastball | Williams’ fastball is his primary weapon, as he can throw it with high velocity, movement, and command. He usually sits in the low-to-mid 90s, but can touch 98 mph when he needs to. He can also vary the spin and shape of his fastball, creating sink, run, and cut. He uses his fastball to set up his secondary pitch and to challenge hitters in any count. |
| Changeup | Williams’ changeup, nicknamed the “Airbender”, is his signature pitch and one of the most unique and effective pitches in baseball. It has a screwball-like movement that breaks sharply down and away from right-handed hitters and in on left-handed hitters, with an average spin rate of 2852 revolutions per minute. He uses his changeup to generate swings and misses and weak contact, especially against right-handed hitters. |
Devin Williams is a talented and dominant relief pitcher who has a two-pitch mix that can overpower hitters at any level. He has a plus-plus fastball-changeup combination that he can throw with precision and movement, resulting in a high strikeout rate and a low ERA.
He has been an All-Star twice and has won the National League Rookie of the Year and Reliever of the Year awards in 2020. He is currently the setup man or closer for the Milwaukee Brewers, and he will be eligible for free agency after the 2025 season. He has the potential to be one of the best relievers in baseball for any team that signs him.
FAQs about Devin Williams:
How did Devin Williams get his nickname, the “Airbender”?
Devin Williams got his nickname, the “Airbender”, from his teammates and fans, who were amazed by the movement and spin of his changeup. His changeup has a screwball-like movement that breaks sharply down and away from right-handed hitters and in on left-handed hitters, making it look like he is bending the air with his pitch.
What is Devin Williams’ signature celebration after a strikeout?
Devin Williams’ signature celebration after a strikeout is to point his index finger to the sky and yell “Let’s go!” or “Yeah!” He does this to show his emotion and intensity on the mound, as well as to pump up his teammates and fans. He also sometimes does a fist pump or a chest bump with his catcher or other teammates.
How did Devin Williams injure his hand in 2021?
Devin Williams injured his hand in 2021 after punching a wall in frustration following the Brewers’ clinching of the NL Central division title on September 26. He said he was drunk and angry at himself for something that happened earlier that night, but he did not reveal what it was. He suffered a fracture in his right hand that required surgery and ended his season prematurely.
What are some of the awards and honors that Devin Williams has received in his career?
Some of the awards and honors that Devin Williams has received in his career are:
- National League Rookie of the Year and Reliever of the Year in 2020
- MLB All-Star in 2021 and 2023
- National League Reliever of the Month in September 2020, August 2021, and September 2023
- MLB.com’s Pitching Performance of the Year in 2020
- Baseball America’s Major League Rookie of the Year in 2020
- Sporting News’ NL Rookie of the Year in 2020
- Baseball Digest’s NL Rookie of the Year in 2020
- Players Choice Awards’ NL Outstanding Rookie in 2020
Who are some of the pitchers that Devin Williams admires or models his game after?
Some of the pitchers that Devin Williams admires or models his game after are:
- Josh Hader, his teammate and fellow reliever on the Brewers, who has a dominant fastball-slider combination and a high strikeout rate.
- Trevor Hoffman, the Hall of Fame closer who played for the Brewers from 2009 to 2010, who had a legendary changeup that he called “The Bugs Bunny”.
- Pedro Martinez, the Hall of Fame starter who played for several teams, including the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets, who had a masterful command of his fastball, changeup, curveball, and cutter.
- Mariano Rivera, the Hall of Fame closer who played for the New York Yankees, who had a signature cut fastball that he used to break bats and save games.
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