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Williams is focused on adding a cutter and slider to his repertoire this season, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The reliever known as the Airbender has been almost exclusively a fastball-changeup artist during his career, but a tough 2025 season with the Yankees in which he posted a career-worst 4.79 ERA, albeit with a much more palatable 2.68 FIP and 3.05 xERA, has Williams looking for an extra edge. The early results in spring training on the new pitches haven't exactly been encouraging -- Cardinals prospect JJ Wetherholt homered on a first-pitch cutter Friday -- but Williams isn't concerned. "That one specifically, I was just trying to throw a strike and he jumped on it," Williams said. "I kind of babied it, trying to just throw it over the plate. He wasn't giving me strike one." The 31-year-old right-hander is still going to lean heavily on his changeup to generate strikeouts, but having other options could help the Mets' new closer to rebound.

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