Devin Williams comes to The Bronx with a menacing pitch and an elite Yankees goal

Devin Williams wants to add his name to the list of great Yankee closers. The right-hander, acquired in a trade from Milwaukee last week, listed Mariano Rivera and Aroldis Chapman as examples of “the best of the best” who have finished games in The Bronx. Though Williams arguably has been the most dominant closer in the game over the past two seasons when healthy, his brief experience of pitching in October has not gone well. He struggled in two of three postseason appearances during 2023 and ’24, most notably when he allowed Pete Alonso’s go-ahead homer in the Mets’ decisive Game 3 win in the wild-card round this year. “We’re all aware of how things turned out this year,” Williams said of the Alonso homer during an introductory Zoom call on Tuesday.“I wish things turned out differently.

I’ll put myself in that situation every time.I’ll never shy away from that moment.

I want the ball.I’m looking forward to my next opportunity.” He also pointed to the fact he’s only thrown three postseason innings. “I haven’t had that much opportunity,’’ Williams said. The Yankees plan on that changing and will hope he looks more like Rivera than Chapman if they get back to October, with the 30-year-old Williams — picked up in exchange for Nestor Cortes and minor league infielder Caleb Durbin — now set to anchor the back of the bullpen. It’s a challenge Williams said he was eagerly anticipating following the trade. The move out of Milwaukee was not a surprise, with Williams saying, “As someone that’s been there the last six years, I understand that’s how they operate.

I kind of expected it.” Instead, Williams — due to be a free agent following this season — landed with the Yankees.When asked about a potential extension, he said: “If it’s right for both sides, that’s definitely an option.

Nothing’s been discussed.” Williams initially believed he’d be shipped to the Dodgers based on rumors he’d heard be...