Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams wasn’t particularly good in April.
He posted a 5.48 ERA last month, and a 5.14 mark if we include his March 29 start.
Those numbers pale in comparison to his excellent spring.
The talented fireballer has been tinkering with his pitch mix and arsenal in the past few weeks, looking for a breakthrough.
Overall, he has been pitching a lot better in May, with a 2.25 ERA, even though the walks are still high (5.40 per nine innings this month).
29 strikeouts in 20 May innings, however, certify that he is, indeed, starting to round into form.
On Wednesday, he was helped by a new pitch: a sinker.
Per researcher Lance Brozdowski, he debuted it against the Minnesota Twins in the series finale.
“Gavin Williams debuted a new sinker last night (on top of career-high cutter usage). #Guardians 5 sinkers yesterday, all to righties, averaged 94.4 mph with 11″ vertical break & 16″ arm-side movement. He’s remade himself since posting a 5.48 ERA in April,” he posted on X.
Gavin Williams debuted a new sinker last night (on top of career-high cutter usage). #Guardians
5 sinkers yesterday, all to righties, averaged 94.4 mph with 11" vertical break & 16" arm-side movement.
He's remade himself since posting a 5.48 ERA in April… more in thread! 👀 pic.twitter.com/wZq3zvdrp6
— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) May 22, 2025
The sinker is part of the new-look Williams, but it’s also worth noting that he has been throwing more cutters in recent starts, probably one of the main drivers of his success.
His cutter usage on Wednesday was a season-high 22.4 percent, per FanGraphs.
When Williams finally overcomes his control issues this year, he might fully break out.
He has the arm talent to be a top-end starter in the league and might hit that ceiling with more consistency.
For now, the Guardians should celebrate the fact that he has been much better this month.
There is more potential to unlock, though, if they are patient.
NEXT: Guardians Send Will Brennan To Injured List, Activate Lane Thomas
