15-year former veteran has ruthless reaction to Yankees' Devin Williams recent struggles

Who else to speak on a star pitcher’s struggles than a former star pitcher.?

The Yankees have had some great arms come through their system over time, with former reliever Adam Ottavino offering some sage advice to Yankees’ former-closer Devin Williams. 

“You’ve got two things going on at the same time, which are a tough combination,” Ottavino said during an appearance on SNY’s Baseball Night in New York. “Number one, he’s getting unlucky. His batting average on balls in play is too high. It’s unsustainable. And number two, it’s the worst he’s ever pitched in his career.”

It is the worst Williams has ever pitched in his career, with the right-hander being moved from his closer spot — a role he’s held throughout the majority of his career. 

“I think Boone did a good job getting him out of the closer role,” Ottavino said. “But we’re going to need to get him in an extended period of success, to get him feeling himself a little bit before we see the real Devin Williams.”

“There’s a mental component to this right now,” he said. “Clearly, the vibes aren’t where they need to be in the stadium when he’s coming into the game. The snowball’s kind of rolling the wrong direction.”

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Being the closer of a team as high-profile as the Yankees certainly does not come without stress, it’ll be up to the Yankees and Williams to find a fix for his recent struggles.