Yankees' Devin Williams has been amazing in low-leverage and it's actually scaring me

Oh? Oh, the 'Devin Williams to the Yankees' trade has been a total MESS, huh?! Well, could a guy who came over in a trade that's been a total mess do ... THIS?!

(Devin Williams proceeds to calmly strike out the side in a 9-4 game against the Chicago White Sox.)

Objectively, the Williams Era in the Bronx hasn't been as good as the previous Williams Era (Bernie + The Core Four). Time spent with The Airbender in the closer role hasn't lived up to expectations, both before he was removed in late April and after. He held down the fort while Luke Weaver was injured, causing minimal chaos. He regrouped and breathed deeply on Opening Day. Other than that ... it's been an incomplete tenure, and often disastrous.

But after Williams was thrown into the fire by Aaron Boone thrice in a week against Texas and Houston, and the situation became unfair to both paying customers and the man himself, who'd long ago earned a reset, things finally ... finally ... started to get settled on the proper track.

It was tough sledding and difficult navigation for quite a while, but since the Astros series, Boone has mostly stuck to low-leverage opportunities for Williams, only occasionally forcing him into some semblance of pressure (6-3 save chance against the Rays in extras, 5-2 game in the finale against Boston). That extra-inning save opportunity in Tampa nearly turned disastrous before Williams stranded the tying runs in scoring position with a trio of Ks. The rest of his work? Hasn't been sweaty whatsoever. More often than not, he's been breezing through the side in order with more breathing room to work with.

On Thursday, he knifed through a mix of White Sox veterans and future pieces. In his last eight appearances (including that game), he's now whiffed 18 men and walked just one in 7 1/2 two-hit innings. Silently, his season ERA is back under 5.00 and he's now struck out 74 men in 51 1/3 frames. Williams hasn't just been competent. He's been dominant. And the progress he's made has begun to terrify me.

Will anyone be convinced to disrupt his comfort zone and move him back into the role he's abdicated twice now? No, right? Things are going ... so well. There just has to be a catch.

I guess ... the best course of action is just to enjoy what's already been accomplished and the wins that are already in the bank without fretting about a fraught future. Williams has already done more for the Yankees in August than anyone could've imagined after the Joc Pederson launch or the dissolved scoreless tie the very next day. His command has been pinpoint while the deficits he's been asked to handle have been heftier.

Don't ... mess ... with success. Handle this ... very carefully. Sure, a low-leverage opportunity could get dicey if his control betrays him again, but there's a cleanup crew on hand if that happens. Stick with the program. It's been ... and this feels almost mean to say ... fun.