Milwaukee Brewers: Devin Williams working on new pitch

Devin Williams has been a key part of the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen. He has dominated since his arrival, using his screwball-esque changeup to befuddle the opposition. The duo of Williams and Hader has given the Brewers a shutdown pair at the end of games.

It is possible that he will be even better in the upcoming season. Williams has been working on a slider, potentially giving him a third pitch that he could use to get opponents out.

Devin Williams could be even better for Milwaukee Brewers

This is not an entirely new pitch for Williams. He had thrown a slider in the minors but scrapped the offering at the major league level because the balls were different than what they have in the minors. The lower seams on major league baseballs made it more difficult to get a feel for the pitch, leaving Williams to focus on his fastball and ‘airbender’ of a changeup.

Although he did not replicate his incredible 2020 showing, Williams proved to be a valuable part of the Brewers bullpen last season. He posted a 2.50 ERA and a 1.185 WHiP in his 54 innings, striking out 87 batters with 28 walks. He easily established himself as one of the better relievers in baseball.

His importance to the Brewers bullpen was underscored in a painful way last year. He broke his pitching hand during the team’s celebration of their fourth consecutive trek to the postseason, punching a wall while drunk. Williams was lost for the postseason, and given the struggles of their bullpen, may have been the deciding factor as to why they were eliminated.

Now he is looking to not only return, but to be even better than before. He used that down time and the lockout to work on his slider, adding another weapon to his arsenal. Even if he uses the offering once or twice per appearance, it is something else that the opposition has to think about.

Devin Williams has been working on a new pitch. The Milwaukee Brewers pitcher could be even better during the upcoming season.