Devin Williams Believes 'Mental Toughness' Will Help Him in First Mets Season

The former Yankees reliever is ready to bounce back after a tough 2025 campaign.

Feb. 21, 2026 at 4:44am

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Devin Williams, who signed with the Mets this offseason, believes his mental toughness from last year's struggles will help him succeed in his first season in New York. Williams lost the closer job twice with the Yankees in 2025 but finished the year strong, and he's ready to take over the Mets' closer role with Edwin Diaz's departure.

Why it matters

Williams is taking over as the Mets' closer, a high-pressure role, and his ability to bounce back from adversity will be crucial to the team's success. The Mets are hoping Williams can regain the dominant form he showed earlier in his career with the Brewers.

The details

Williams said he wasn't executing well and got poor results early in the 2025 season with the Yankees, but he finished strong with nine straight scoreless appearances, mostly in a setup role. He's confident that late-season stretch showed he's still the same dominant reliever he's been for most of his career. Now with the Mets, Williams is ready to take over as the team's closer after Edwin Diaz's departure.

  • Williams finished the 2025 regular season with nine straight scoreless appearances.
  • Williams had four more scoreless appearances in the 2025 playoffs.

The players

Devin Williams

A relief pitcher who signed with the Mets this offseason after struggling at times with the Yankees in 2025.

Edwin Diaz

The former Mets closer who left the team for the Dodgers shortly after Williams signed with the Mets.

Carlos Mendoza

The Mets manager, who praised Williams' mental toughness and ability to bounce back from adversity.

Brett Baty

A Mets prospect who is transitioning to the outfield this spring after playing primarily in the infield in the minors.

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What they’re saying

“Mental toughness. I wasn't executing and I was getting bad results. It got pretty tough there, but I got through it and was throwing the ball really well by the end of the year.”

— Devin Williams

“Probably that last stretch of games, that was me, that's my standard. I was executing the way I need to.”

— Devin Williams

“You're gonna fail. [Stuff] got really bad for a little bit last year, but I'm still me. I'm still the same guy. I'm still really good at this game.”

— Devin Williams

“He's been a guy. Last year wasn't easy for him at the beginning and he made some adjustments.”

— Carlos Mendoza, Mets Manager

“The athleticism. We didn't know which way it was gonna go when we asked him to play second base. It's not an easy position, especially when you're used to playing on the left side and a corner position.”

— Carlos Mendoza, Mets Manager

What’s next

The Mets will continue to monitor Baty's progress as he transitions to the outfield this spring, with a focus on getting him reps in the infield first before moving him to the outfield.

The takeaway

Devin Williams' ability to overcome adversity and regain his dominant form will be crucial for the Mets this season, as he takes over the closer role from the departed Edwin Diaz. The team is counting on his mental toughness to help him succeed in the high-pressure closer role.