A Detailed Look into Devin Williams’ Struggles This Season

Devin Williams’ Current Statistics Cause Major Concerns

It’s April and not entirely detrimental, but the stat line that Williams owns is quite concerning. The right-handed reliever holds an 11.25 ERA in just 10 games and eight innings of work. He’s allowed 12 runs (10 earned) on 12 hits.  Williams has struck out eight batters, walking seven in 44 batters faced. 

What We Know and What Needs to Happen

Williams has been extremely effective in previous years. He was a two-time All-Star in 2022 and 2023 for the Milwaukee Brewers. In seven seasons, the right-hander has primarily depended on two pitches, a four-seam fastball and a changeup. 

So far this season, after being traded in the offseason, his changeup is his most used pitch, at 55.5% usage. The fastball holds a 44.5% usage. Williams’ changeup is usually his put-away pitch, depending on it for most of his outs.

The issue is that the changeup is now uncovered by hitters and its effectiveness has declined. His strikeout rate has decreased to 16.7% and the Whiff rate has dropped from 48.8% to 22%. Hitters have figured this pitch out. 

Further, the changeup sits between 83-84 mph and is not placed effectively. The fastball averages 93.7 mph, facing similar issues. Pitch location in general is an issue for Williams right now. His pitches are missing the intended targets and ending up in vulnerable spots. 

The changeup has a 31.6% hard-hit percentage, and the fastball is at 44.4%. The zone contact percentage is 78.2% with a 71.4% chase contact percentage. His chase percentage is 27.2%, which is the lowest in his career. 

The fix for Williams to find success on the mound will be to incorporate another pitch. The right-hander used to toy with a cutter, and he could end up reintroducing it. As we stand, it is too late to find any more velocity. His fastball works without much action, and the velocity is average. 

He’ll need to work on his fastball command and utilize it as much as the changeup. Both pitches need to build command abilities, and more willingness to work off the zone. This may increase his walk rate, but it’s the risk of managing a save situation. These numbers paint the picture of Devin Williams’ struggles so far, and until this is addressed, his dominance will be in question.