The Yankees’ southward slide is in full motion. After being swept clean by the Marlins and dropping the opener against the Rangers, the Bronx Bombers have stumbled to an 18–28 record since June 13. That’s the fifth-worst mark in Major League Baseball over that span. And guess what, their struggles are as varied as they are alarming. A sputtering offense that vanishes at key moments, costly fielding lapses, and a bullpen prone to late-inning meltdowns.
The latest loss to Texas underscored another problem. That’s an unsettled closer situation that has manager Aaron Boone already walking back his own words. So now, in the middle of this storm stands the new focal point of attention: closer Devin Williams. A figure both under scrutiny and burdened with the weight of halting the Yankees’ freefall. And it seems like Boone is getting away from showing his past confidence in Williams!
“After the Yankees acquired three new relievers last week, Boone said Devin Williams would remain the closer. Today Boone said Williams possibly could continue to close, but I look at it like we have a bunch of closers down there, so I’m going to kind of play it night by night,” MLB insider Erik Boland shared the latest update from Boone. And what does that denote?
After the Yankees acquired three new relievers last week, Boone said Devin Williams would remain as closer. Today Boone said Williams “possibly” could continue to close but “I look at it like we have a bunch of closers down there, so I’m going to kind of play it night by night.”
— Erik Boland (@eboland11) August 5, 2025
Well, Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t exactly give a vote of confidence to Williams after Monday’s game, when the reliever gave up a game-tying homer to the Rangers’ Joc Pederson in the ninth. Boone said he isn’t ready to commit to Williams as a closer moving forward and noted that the team’s new bullpen additions, both of whom have experience closing for other teams before the trade deadline, could factor into the late-inning mix in The Bronx.
This is a stark contrast to what Boone said after the trade deadline that Williams will continue as the closer.
Reportedly, when the Yankees traded for Williams, the hope was that he’d bring some stability to the bullpen after Clay Holmes left. Instead, it’s been the roughest season of his career, and he’s struggled in big spots. For the unversed, Williams has a 5.10 ERA with 55 SOs, 17 walks, and 4 HRs allowed over 46 games.
What’s more, he’s converted 17 of 20 save chances, but he’s given up at least one run in each of his last three outings. According to Codify Baseball, Williams previously allowed 24 earned runs in his final 145 appearances with the Brewers. But with the Yankees, he’s already matched that total in just 46 games! Now you can imagine how the man is struggling.
And that’s just part of the Yankees’ struggle.
Devin Williams is just part of a larger Yankees issue
Yes, Devin Williams’ struggle is an issue for the Yankees, but that’s not all.
Well, the Yankees didn’t make any blockbuster moves at the deadline. So, instead of landing a proven late-inning arm or a dependable lefty, they went for quantity. They picked up Jake Bird, Camilo Doval, and David Bednar in what looked like a volume-based gamble. And so far, it hasn’t paid off.
The Yankees’ bullpen currently sits 22nd in MLB with a 4.29 ERA, and even the guys they’re counting on are struggling. Yes, Williams has blown leads, Bednar got lit up by the Marlins, and Doval hasn’t looked like the dominant closer the Giants once had. Luke Weaver and a few others have had brief flashes, but the Yankees still don’t have that go-to arm to slam the door.
So, the numbers tell the story. 0-6 in extra-inning games on the road, and a 25-33 record since May 28. A team once on pace for 100 wins is now clinging to playoff hopes, with the Blue Jays pulling away in the AL East and the Red Sox and Mariners pushing in the Wild Card race. And right now, the Yankees’ bullpen isn’t just coughing up games, it’s threatening to derail the Yankees’ entire season.
The result? Boone just overhauled the Yankees’ bullpen by optioning Jake Bird to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday. And surprisingly, that’s coming within days of acquiring him at the trade deadline. But will that resolve the issues for the Yankees? Hopefully it will be, but the team’s diverse problems might be too big to solve soon.
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