Overview

• Devin Williams made his Yankees debut on Opening Day, securing a save in a tense 4-2 victory against his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers.
• The ninth inning saw Williams load the bases with no outs but recover to strike out Christian Yelich to end a 36-pitch outing, his longest since May 2022.
• Williams' performance earned him the Yankees' championship belt as the player of the game, despite admitting to command struggles during the outing.
• The Yankees lifted their decades-long beard ban earlier this year to accommodate Williams, signaling a shift in team culture and player accommodation.
• Acquired in a December trade for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin, Williams' debut highlighted his resilience under pressure and the emotional weight of facing his former team.