The Yankees’ slump is not just a bump in the road anymore. It is a full-blown skid. After five straight losses and a bullpen in disarray, frustration is boiling over in the team, and all eyes are on one star: Devin Williams. The former All-Star has identified himself at the base of the storm after another outing against the Rangers. Assigned with holding a scoreless tie in the eighth, he surrendered two runs in just two-thirds of an inning — again becoming the face of a loss. So, when you have allowed at least one earned run in four consecutive appearances, fans notice it.

However, this is not just related to poor performance. It is related to poor decision-making. Williams was currently demoted from the closer position, yet Aaron Boone continues putting the veteran in high-leverage moments as if nothing has changed. WFAN’s Boomer Esiason has had enough, saying, “This Devin Williams thing has just got to end… You can no longer put him in these high-leverage situations.” Despite such warning signs, the manager of the team stuck with Williams while Mark Leiter Jr. and David Bednar — the 2 stars, warmed up and ready — watched from the bullpen. This is not managing the moment; this is mismanaging the situation.

The backlash is not just limited to sports radio. Fans are totally torching Aaron Boone’s stubborn approach, with Talkin’ Yanks saying, “Boone had two other pitchers ready to go… but instead of putting them in, he said… Let’s keep the losing formula going. I think we’ve got a chance.” Such a sarcastic jab could sting; however, it hits a nerve because it looks all too real. Gregg Giannotti echoed this sentiment and warned, “The heat gets hotter and hotter every loss for Aaron Boone… They trust their guys, sometimes too much.”

However, Devin Williams, the star in the middle of it all, looks as lost as the Yankees themselves. “I mean, I don’t really know what to say at this point,” Devin Williams said after the game. “You just continue to work and keep trying to execute and help the team any way I can”, he added. However, effort alone is not enough in the team — not when playoff hopes are fading and the margin for error is razor-thin. The team did not just lose to the Rangers — the Yankees lost another chunk of trust from the fans, and this trust could not return unless something changes quickly.

While Devin Williams’ meltdowns have dominated headlines, the star is far from the only question mark in the team’s crumbling bullpen. Another star has quickly joined the growing list of issues and his story highlights a deeper concern than just one star struggling under pressure.

Jake Bird’s rapid demotion highlights a larger Yankees bullpen crisis

Just five days after donning pinstripes, Jake Bird was sent packing to Triple-A, and it was a move that turned heads and raised serious questions related to the team’s decision-making. Acquired from the Rockies for a pair of stars, Bird’s debut was an absolute nightmare, coughing up a grand slam in a crushing 13-12 collapse to the Marlins. In just two innings over three appearances, the star enabled seven runs and six earned and forced the Yankees to pull the plug quicker than anyone anticipated. While Bird’s breaking pitches like the sweeper remain elite in isolation, the star’s fastball has been batting practice material.

However, this was not just a Jake Bird issue — it reflects a management grasping at straws. The Yankees’ bullpen currently ranks second-worst in MLB since July 1 with a 6.13 ERA and the team is behind only Bird’s former team. So when the Yankees gave up Roc Riggio and Ben Shields for a reliever who was never going to be a plug-and-play outcome, it felt like a panic move. Now, the optics are worse. The team did not just gamble on upside; the Yankees exposed how desperate things are behind the scenes. Between Aaron Boone’s shaky game-time calls and management’s misfires, fans are left wondering if anyone in the team truly has a grip on what is going wrong.

The Yankees’ bullpen woes are not just a rough patch — they are a full-blown crisis, magnified by mismanagement, poor execution and mounting force from all sides. From Devin Williams’ stumbles to Jake Bird’s crash landing, the “losing formula” is becoming hard to ignore. If the team thinks to salvage their season, transformation needs to happen — quickly.

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