The Glove He Gave Away

The Glove

In 2018, Devin Williams grew so frustrated after a rough minor-league outing that he threw a pitch over a batter's head, got ejected, tossed his glove to a kid in the stands, and told him to keep it. He considered quitting baseball altogether. Five years earlier the Brewers had taken him in the second round — 54th overall out of Hazelwood West High School in Hazelwood, Missouri — and he had signed for $1.35 million rather than honor his commitment to the University of Missouri. In 2018 he was a minor leaguer who nearly lost the sport.

He recommitted instead.

The Airbender

He debuted in August 2019, and by the end of the 2020 season he was the National League Rookie of the Year. The circle changeup they call the Airbender became the pitch that finished games. Six seasons in Milwaukee, all in relief, never a start: 345 career appearances, a 2.66 ERA, 510 strikeouts across 331.1 innings, two All-Star teams.

He pitched for the Yankees in 2025, then the Mets in 2026. On July 16, he recorded his 100th career save — fourteen of them this season.

The Drive

His mother, Angela Norton, raised him alone in northern St. Louis County. She once drove him to a showcase in Minnesota in a small red car, stayed overnight, watched him pitch, then drove through the night so she could teach a 10 a.m. spin class without missing work. He preferred soccer and idolized Cristiano Ronaldo, but his grandfather insisted he keep baseball too.

Mets coaches this year have called him one of the smarter players they've been around, citing his body awareness and attention to detail. He is 31, closing for his third club, and fourteen saves into the 2026 season.

Reporting: Andscape, MLB.com, The Athletic. Career and biographical data: MLB StatsAPI, via the Fever engine.