Adam Ottavino, a former reliever for the Yankees, sympathizes with Devin Williams' early-season struggles, noting that Williams faces a mix of bad luck and poor performance. With an unusually high batting average on balls in play (BABIP) at .382, Williams is also dealing with increased line drives and hard-hit balls. Ottavino emphasizes the mental aspect of the game and believes that manager Aaron Boone's decision to remove Williams from the closer role is a positive step. He remains confident in Williams' talent and resilience, calling his past performance 'insanely elite.'
You've got two things going on at the same time, which are a tough combination... he's getting unlucky. His batting average on balls in play is too high.
There's a mental component to this right now... the vibes aren't where they need to be in the stadium when he's coming into the game.
I think Boone did a good job getting him out of the closer role... to get him feeling himself a little bit before we see the real Devin Williams.
His résumé is insanely elite, and I have no doubt the right-hander will bounce back.
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