Yankees’ Closer Role in Flux as Devin Williams Struggles, Max Fried Shines vs. Blue Jays

The New York Yankees find themselves at a crossroads early in the season. While new ace Max Fried is thriving in the Bronx, the situation at closer is suddenly uncertain after Devin Williams suffered a costly meltdown against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Fried will take the mound Saturday afternoon in the second game of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium, aiming to build on his sensational start. But off the field, the bullpen storyline is beginning to loom large.

Max Fried: A $218 Million Investment Paying Early Dividends

Since signing an eight-year, $218 million contract in the offseason, Max Fried has been nothing short of spectacular. After a shaky debut outing, Fried has posted a 1.00 ERA over his past four starts, and currently sits at 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA on the season.

In his latest performance, Fried tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, dominating with 13 groundball outs and precise command across 102 pitches. Notably, Fried has excelled against Toronto historically, holding a 0.95 ERA over three career starts.

As Fried takes the ball Saturday, the Yankees know they’re getting elite-level performance atop the rotation. However, questions loom elsewhere.

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Devin Williams’ Struggles Open Door for Closer Change

While Fried has been thriving, Devin Williams is enduring a nightmare start to his Yankees tenure. After blowing his first save opportunity in five chances Friday night—allowing a crucial two-run double to Alejandro Kirk—Williams now holds a staggering 11.25 ERA across his first 10 appearances.

Clearly frustrated, Williams admitted, “Truthfully, I don’t know. It’s something I’ve been battling for most of the season. So it’s getting pretty frustrating.”

Manager Aaron Boone, while offering public support for Williams, stopped short of committing to him as the closer going forward. Boone hinted that internal discussions were underway, saying, “We’ll kind of talk through that stuff. This is raw right now. We want to do everything we can to get (Williams) right because we know how good he is and how valuable he’s going to be for us.”

The Yankees have a ready-made alternative if they choose to make a switch: Luke Weaver, who sports a perfect 0.00 ERA with two saves in 11 appearances. Weaver capably handled closing duties late last season, adding intrigue to Boone’s decision-making.

Toronto Blue Jays Snap Skid with Opportunistic Win

Friday’s victory couldn’t have come at a better time for the Blue Jays. After a rough stretch—losing five straight games and hitting just 9-for-90 in a sweep by the Houston Astros—the Jays finally broke through.

Key performances included:

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. launching a crucial home run.
• Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, and Nathan Lukes contributing multi-hit games.

“It feels great. I needed it and the team needed it,” Kirk said through an interpreter following his sixth multi-hit game of the year.

Kevin Gausman Looks to Rebound Against Yankees

Toronto will send Kevin Gausman (2-2, 3.16 ERA) to the mound Saturday to face Fried. However, Gausman has historically struggled against New York, going 0-2 with a 9.98 ERA over four starts last season. The Yankees tagged him for five home runs across 15 1/3 innings in 2024 alone.

Though Gausman has recorded 22 strikeouts in his past three starts, he’ll need to rediscover his sharpest form to give the Blue Jays a shot against a surging Fried.

What’s Next for the Yankees?

The Yankees find themselves in an enviable yet fragile position. With Max Fried providing ace-level pitching, their rotation looks formidable. However, if their closer situation isn’t stabilized quickly, it could derail early-season momentum.

Williams still possesses elite talent, but patience wears thin in a city where every inning counts.

Saturday’s matchup not only pits two star pitchers against each other, but could also mark a turning point in how the Yankees handle their bullpen moving forward, check out our Daily Baseball Picks to stay in touch with all developments regarding this matchup .