Oh, man. Devin Williams. Where do I start? He went from being one of the most likable players to “Oh? What’s going on with that guy?” The 2020 NL Rookie of the Year had his best season as a Brewer despite injuries during the regular and postseason. For instance, Williams dealt with an elbow injury in July, a calf injury in late September, and fractured his hand before the playoffs. Additionally, this off-field, heat-of-the-moment poor decision is thought to have affected Milwaukee’s postseason chances.
Nevertheless, Williams did play in 58 games last year. Let’s dive into his performance over the regular season.
The Stats:
It’s safe to say Williams did not get much worse after his breakout season. He produced career highs in:
- WAR: 1.6
- Innings Pitched: 54 (2x last season)
- Strikeouts: 87
- Saves: 3 (First of career)
- Fly Ball Rate: 27.5%
Devin Williams would be the ace of the Hogwarts pitching staff if they ever decided to start up a team pic.twitter.com/xh2BY47FRj
— Fuzzy (@fuzzyfromyt) March 28, 2021
But, more of his stats declined than improved. This, of course, is expected to happen when a player receives more playing time after a shortened season. Most of these do not affect the player he truly is. Williams allowed career highs in:
- Hits (36)
- Runs (17, 15 ER)
- Home Runs (5)
- Walks (28)
- Walks/9 (4.7)
Devin Williams making them look silly! pic.twitter.com/wZmOJ5Uzkk
— IKE Brewers Podcast (@IKE_Brewers) March 24, 2021
Looking Ahead
Devin Williams was the Brewers’ 10th best pitcher this season, according to baseballreference.com. With Milwaukee’s pitching staff expected to maintain its success into next season, it’s under my best assumption that Devin Williams will need to stay healthy to earn back his role behind Josh Hader as the Number Two bullpen guy. This will all depend on the performance of other relievers and new additions. Think Brent Suter, Alec Bettinger, Hunter Strickland, Jake Cousins, Aaron Ashby, Justin Topa, and Angel Perdomo.
Devin Williams, Airbender (without & with tail). 😳@DTrainn_23 @ReviewngTheBrew pic.twitter.com/A71ElzRQ7e
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) January 22, 2022
Under contract until 2026, it is safe to expect a comfortable floor of an above-average reliever for Devin Williams next season.
Final Grade: B
If you’d like to read more articles from our 2021 Brewers report cards series, be sure to check out the Wisconsin Sports Heroics website!
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