Oh, what a relief: Devin Williams named to NL all-star team for second consecutive season

For the second consecutive season Devin Williams is an all-star, having been named to the National League squad on Sunday afternoon.

But for the first time he will be able to plan his red-carpet outfit, a big deal for the fashion-conscious Milwaukee Brewers closer.

“I didn't get chosen until the very last minute last year, so I might have some time to figure out what I'm going to wear this year,” said Williams, named as a replacement the morning of the Brewers’ final game of the first half last year in San Francisco.

It was scramble mode from there as the right-hander figured out the logistics.

Luckily, everything fell into place and his first all-star appearance at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles came off without a hitch – tailor-made threads included.

“It was a quick, 24-hour process,” Williams said. “The guy that made my suit did it in literally 24 hours. He'll have a little bit more time this year.

“I’ve got some ideas. He sent some swatches over to me. I haven't locked down anything, though.”

Williams, 28, has locked down 17 games so far for the Brewers, a body of work that earned him his spot in the Midsummer Classic at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. His latest came Sunday in Milwaukee’s 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park to cap a 7-3 road trip.

He’s the Brewers’ lone representative – outfielder Christian Yelich might have a shot as a replacement as Williams did in 2022 – and keeps alive a seven-year run of Milwaukee sending a reliever to the All-Star Game.

Over the last nine years the Brewers have had a total of 10 relievers named as all-stars.

“Trevor Hoffman was the first guy that I was fortunate enough to play with,” said manager Craig Counsell. “I just feel there’s been excellence in that position. Just, excellence. We’re very lucky. The names that I think Devin belongs up there with are those names.

“He’s got a long way to go in his career, but that’s how his career has started. He’s pitching at the level those guys pitched at in their careers, and so we’re lucky to have him.”

Added Williams: “It’s an incredible list of guys. Rollie Fingers, Trevor Hoffman, Josh Hader, K-Rod (Francisco Rodríguez). Josh kind of passed the torch to me and eventually I’ll do the same for somebody else.

“Hopefully we can keep it going.”

In the midst of his first season as a full-time closer, Williams began the final week of the first half with a 4-1 record, 1.52 earned run average and a WHIP of 0.98 to go along with 39 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings over 30 appearances.

Opposing batters are hitting him at just a .129 clip and he’s unscored upon in 28 of 30 appearances as he continues to utilize his “Airbender” changeup (55% usage rate) and four-seam fastball (42.9%) to great effect.

"There's been some saves this year where you watch Devin out on the mound and you just so much enjoy watching him work, watching his poise in the most difficult of situations," Counsell said. "That's another trait that those guys all had. It's a job where your team works hard all day and you're tasked with finishing it off.

"It's an emotional position. And to do it the way he does, to step into it after (Hader) was so good at it has been really impressive to watch."

Now for the next week Williams can focus on helping the Brewers finish the first half strong while his tailor takes advantage of the additional time to customize a fitting ensemble for that star-studded stroll in Seattle.

“I’m proud of how I’ve handled everything and continued to do what I’ve always done up to this point,” Williams said. “My goal is to be perfect every time out. I don’t succeed in that a lot of that time, but that’s what keeps me going into the next one, and the next one.”

Meanwhile Yelich, who's hitting .273 with 10 home runs and 40 runs batted in with an OPS of .808, will have to play the waiting game much like Williams did last year to see if there is any movement among the seven outfielders named to the NL roster.

Atlanta's Ronald Acuña Jr., Los Angeles's Mookie Betts and Arizona's Corbin Carroll have been named the starters while Miami's Jorge Soler, Arizona's Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Philadelphia's Nick Castellanos and San Diego's Juan Soto made it as reserves.

Curt Hogg of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers closer Devin Williams named to National League all-star team