The New York Yankees might’ve quietly turned a major corner on Wednesday — not with their bats, but in the bullpen.
With Devin Williams imploding once again this week, the Yankees handed the eight and ninth innings to David Bednar — and it paid off.
The result was a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers, finally snapping a brutal losing streak and offering a possible bullpen reset.
Williams had allowed two earned runs the night before, and with him unavailable, manager Aaron Boone didn’t overthink it.
Instead of reaching for another shaky option, Boone went straight to his newest weapon — and Bednar delivered under pressure.
Bednar steps into the moment and shows closer potential
The Yankees acquired David Bednar from the Pirates with hopes he could become a high-leverage asset, if not their long-term closer.
On Wednesday, he took the mound for the final two innings and looked like exactly that — confident, composed, and lethal.
This season, Bednar holds a 2.55 ERA across 42.1 innings, with 59 strikeouts and one major message: he’s built for this role.
He ranks in the 95th percentile in strikeout rate, using sharp movement and late life to miss bats and jam barrels.
Yes, he’s been barreled up a bit more than usual this year, but that didn’t show when it mattered against Texas.
Bednar worked efficiently through the Rangers lineup, closing the door on a game the Yankees absolutely needed to win.
There was no hesitation in his body language, no nervous energy — just a pitcher doing his job with cold-blooded execution.
Devin Williams is no longer a trustworthy closer
On the other hand, the Yankees have learned the hard way that Devin Williams isn’t wired for this environment right now.
Williams has now given up six earned runs in his last four appearances, including the backbreaker in Tuesday’s shutout loss.
Even with his elite stuff — including a devastating changeup and 30% strikeout rate — Williams has fallen off a psychological cliff.
He looks rattled in big moments, walking batters, missing spots, and unraveling with runners on base far too often.
His 5.44 ERA over 43 innings doesn’t reflect how damaging his mistakes have been when the lights are brightest.
What once looked like a shrewd trade has quickly aged into one of the Yankees’ most painful bullpen acquisitions in years.
The reality is that confidence matters as much as stuff — and Williams has lost both far too often to stay in the ninth.
A changing of the guard is finally here
Wednesday night felt like a shift — like Boone and the Yankees were ready to turn the page and start fresh with Bednar.
Williams needs to be demoted into lower-leverage spots, giving him a chance to rebuild whatever remains of his mental edge.
Meanwhile, Bednar has earned the right to close — especially with a pivotal series against the Houston Astros coming next.
The Yankees have Thursday off to regroup, reset their bullpen structure, and head into the weekend with Bednar at the helm.
That move alone could be what saves the Yankees’ chances of staying afloat in a tightly packed Wild Card race.
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