Devin Williams wants to add his name to the list of great Yankee closers. The right-hander, last week, listed Mariano Rivera and Aroldis Chapman as examples of the best of the best who have finished games in The Bronx. Though Williams arguably has been the most dominant closer in the game over the past two seasons when healthy, his brief experience of pitching in October has not gone well. He struggled in two of three postseason appearances during 2023 and 24, most notably when he allowed in the Mets decisive Game 3 win in the wild-card round this year. Devin Williams #38 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts to the third out of the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Getty Images Were all aware of how things turned out this year, Williams said of the Alonso homer during an introductory Zoom call on Tuesday. I wish things turned out differently. Ill put myself in that situation every time. Ill never shy away from that moment. I want the ball. Im looking forward to my next opportunity. He also pointed to the fact hes . Explore More I havent had that much opportunity, Williams said. The Yankees plan on that changing and will hope he looks more like Rivera than Chapman if they get back to October, with the 30-year-old Williams picked up in exchange for Nestor Cortes and minor league infielder Caleb Durbin now set to anchor the back of the bullpen. Its a challenge Williams said he was eagerly anticipating following the trade. Devin Williams, in his introductory Yankees pre s Guy Carbonneau Jersey conference on Tuesday. The move out of Milwaukee was not a surprise, with Williams saying, As someone thats been there the last six years, I understand thats how they operate. I kind of expected it. Instead, Williams due to be a free agent following this season landed with the Yankees. When asked about a potential extension, he said: If its right for both sides, thats definitely an option. Nothings been discu sed. Williams initially believed hed be shipped to the Dodgers based on rumors hed heard before ending up in New York, where hell bring his dominating changeup a pitch he helped perfect in spring training in 2019 against Trent Grisham when they were teammates with the Brewers. Marino Rivera throws against the Oakland As during a 1996 game. 8.23.96 Having always used the pitch effectively, Williams said he first switched from a two-seam to a four-seam change during a spring at-bat versus Grisham, now a Yankees outfielder. He said he could see the difference in the spin, Williams said. Prior to the 2020 season, Williams used the time off due to COVID to refine the pitch more. It became my out-pitch, my go-to, Williams said. I was still throwing it 88-89 mph, and during COVID at home during live at-bats, I started to realize if I spun it more and threw it slower, I got way more movement and it was a much better pitch. The tweaks helped Williams turn into a huge weapon for the Brewers. His strikeout rate has soared beginning in the 2020 season and he had a whiff rate of 48.8 percent with his changeup last season, according to Baseball Savant, the best of his career. He was limited to 21 / innings last season, but no one who pitched more than 20 innings struck out batters at a higher rate. And that came after three straight superb seasons in Milwaukee. Go beyond the box score with the Bombers Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+. Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Its that swing-and-mi s stuff that appealed to the Yankees in pairing Williams with their breakout star from last season, Luke Weaver. Williams pitched just 22 games last season. He was shut down for six weeks and mi sed the first half of the year with stre s fractures in his back. He said Tuesday hes had no i sues with the back since he returned to action in the middle of last year. Hes confident the added spotlight of pitching for the Yankees will serve him well. Devin Williams #38 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches in the ninth inning against the New York Mets. Getty Images Williams spent 10 days in the city following this past season, touring museums and restaurants. His next stop will be the spotlight of the Stadium. I think it will be good for me, Williams said. I thrive off the energy. I can feed off the fans. And he hopes that goes into the playoffs after last seasons disappointment. The way my mind works, every failure Ive ever had has stuck with me, but its not something that holds me back, Williams said. If anything, it pushes me forward. Every time Ive failed, I want to get back on the mound. Oliver Kapanen Jersey