Milwaukee Brewers’ reliever Devin Williams capped off his impressive rookie campaign with more silverware, receiving National League Rookie of the Year award on Monday. He was previously named NL Reliever of the Year for 2020 as well.
Williams played just 27 innings in 2020, but that didn’t stop him from posting a 4-1 record and finishing the campaign with 0.33 ERA and 53 strikeouts. His name was on 27 out of 30 ballots, with the 26-year-old player receiving 14 first-place votes and getting 95 points out of 150 max.
Philadelphia Phillies’ infielder Alec Bohm finished second behind Williams after he received nine first-place votes and 74 points in total. San Diego Padres’ infielder Jake Cronenworth also had 74 points but finished third because he only got six first-place votes.
Williams is the first Brewer to win the award since team legend Ryan Braun did it in 2007 and the first reliever to be named NL Rookie of the Year since 2011 and Atlanta Braves’ Craig Kimbrel.
“To be honest, it still really hasn’t set in,” said Williams. “I’ve always been the kind of person who keeps his head down and keeps going. I think that’s why I was able to have the success I did.”
Devin Williams was drafted out of high school in 2013, but had a rocky road to majors that included undergoing a Tommy John surgery in 2017. Still, Williams managed to get his MLB break with Milwaukee in 2019 and showed enough promise to get a more prominent role this year. He used it in full, and there is no doubt that Brewers don’t have to worry about their bullpen for years to come.
