The New York Yankees were staring down the barrel of a humiliating defeat against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, trailing 8-0 early in the game. But in a stunning turn of events, the Bronx Bombers clawed their way back, erupting for six runs in the fifth inning, one in the sixth, and two in the eighth to knot the score at 9-9. Just when it seemed the Yankees had seized momentum, their bullpen faltered, and reliever Devin Williams found himself at the center of a firestorm.
Williams (2-3, 5.17 ERA), a veteran arm in the Yankees’ bullpen, took the mound in the bottom of the eighth with the game tied. He started strong, fanning Andres Gimenez for the first out. But the inning quickly unraveled. Williams issued a walk to George Springer, followed by an intentional pass to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a decision that raised eyebrows. Alejandro Kirk then lifted a sacrifice fly, advancing the runners, before Williams uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Springer to scamper home with the go-ahead run. Addison Barger piled on with an RBI single, driving another nail into the Yankees’ coffin. The inning mercifully ended with Ernie Clement grounding out, but the damage was done.
New York’s bats went silent in the top of the ninth, sealing a 10-9 loss and pinning Williams with his third defeat of the season. Postgame, the 30-year-old reliever didn’t shy away from dissecting his rough outing, speaking candidly to YES Network.
“I let Springer get away from me there,” Williams admitted. “Intentional walk to the next guy. Sac fly, we got two outs. Yeah, I don’t know. I thought I made some pretty solid pitches. Barger hit a pitch that was out of the zone.”
On the wild pitch that proved costly, he added, “I gotta make a better pitch there. Wasn’t the easiest one to block for Ben [Rice], so I gotta make a better pitch.”
But it was his comment on the intentional walk to Guerrero that sparked the most controversy: “That’s not my decision,” he said, seemingly distancing himself from the call.
Yankees fans, already stinging from the gut-punch loss, took to social media to vent their frustration, and Williams’ remarks only fanned the flames. Many interpreted his comments as a lack of accountability and a sign of disengagement from the team.
“This man has been counting down the days to unrestricted free agency since the day he got to New York,” one fan fumed on X.
Devin Williams reflects on the 8th inning in Toronto with @M_Marakovits.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/MPnGgqlmKg
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) July 3, 2025
“This dude is not the guy you want holding the ball in a close game whatsoever,” another posted.
“Feels like Devin still hates being in NY, or maybe hates playing for [Aaron] Boone. ‘That’s not my decision’ is not a good look,” a third chimed in.
“Pinstripes aren’t for him, he doesn’t look like he wants to be here tbh,” another fan wrote, echoing the sentiment of many.
Some even called for Williams’ departure, with one user stating, “Can’t wait for the season to be over so he can leave. I’m not falling for that fastball change-up bs. Teams have figured him out.”
The loss dropped the Yankees further in a season already fraught with disappointment, and Williams’ blunt comments have only intensified scrutiny on the reliever. As New York fights to keep its postseason hopes alive, the question looms: can Williams regain the trust of the clubhouse and the passionate Yankees fanbase, or is his time in pinstripes nearing an unceremonious end?