Former Shucker Devin Williams relishes second MLB All-Star Game experience

The last three years the last day of the MLB Draft has fallen on the same day as the MLB All-Star Game.

Perhaps a reflective time of the year for guys like Devin Williams, now a two-time National League All-Star more than ten years after being picked in the second round of the 2013 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Before that, a star relief pitcher for the Biloxi Shuckers back in 2019 as a part of a relatively lengthy journey to the Big Leagues.

In his second year removed from Tommy John Surgery, Williams was coming off a 5-plus ERA in 2018 and according to a recent article on MLB.com, he attributes April 24, a rough Wednesday night in Biloxi as the turning point for his career.

A few months later, Williams was in the show and is now one of the most lethal closers in all of baseball, thanks in large part to his change-up, better known as the air-bender.

Williams pitched five of the final eight days in the first half of the season. So, he didn’t pitch in tonight’s All-Star game, but News 25 got the chance to speak to Williams in Milwaukee last Wednesday and he says bigger the setback, bigger the comeback. “Coming out of high school, I thought getting here would be a lot easier than it was. I thought it would be a smoother process. But I think the road I took here kind of shaped who I am, and the way I go about my business, so I think in the grand scheme of things it was probably necessary. All the hurdles I had to overcome makes it easier when you get into a tough situation now because I’ve been at the bottom. I’ve been through some tough stuff, and you’ve just got to keep going.”

Williams has a 1.89 ERA and 20 saves so far this season.

Former Shuckers Corbin Burnes, also named to the NL All Star team, his third career selection.