After notching one of Major League Baseball's biggest payrolls this past season, to say more was expected of the New York Mets is an understatement. The team collapsed down the stretch, coughing up both the NL East and a playoff spot in the process. As the Mets look to rebound from 2025's failures, the front office has brought in a new recruit in reliever Devin Williams. As the veteran high-leverage reliever looks to make his move to Queens a success, he revealed that he's working on a new weapon. Team beat reporter Anthony DiComo shared via X, formerly Twitter, that Williams is working on adding a gyro slider to his repertoire.
“Devin Williams, who's essentially been a two-pitch pitcher (fastball, changeup) his entire career, says he is working to add a gyro slider for next season,” posted DiComo.
DiComo is right: Williams has been pretty much a fastball and changeup guy his entire career. His changeup is known as “the Airbender,” and was once one of baseball's best pitches. As the season progressed last year, Williams' signature changeup started to come back to life. Will an added slider make him an even bigger threat out of the bullpen for the Mets starting next spring?
Mets look to boost roster after an unfulfilled 2025 campaign
In addition to Williams and his new pitch, the Mets also picked up former Boston Red Sox pitcher Cooper Criswell off waivers. Manager Carlos Mendoza will also have a new pitching coach, as Justin Willard was hired to replace the departed Jeremy Hefner. New York will need to add a couple more pieces to their pitching staff, but the front office is off to a productive start.
Williams said one of the most important factors in joining the Mets was owner Steve Cohen. New York's owner is the richest man in the sport, willing to break records to improve the roster. After stealing Williams away from their crosstown rivals, the Yankees, this marks the second offseason in a row in which a Yankee became a Met. Can Williams make a great first impression in Queens, as Juan Soto did in 2025?
