He missed a lot of time, but Trevor Williams was successful on the mound when he pitched this season…
Trevor Williams’ extended IL stint for a right flexor muscle strain kept him off the mound in the majors from May 30th to September 20th this year, but after an impressive start to his second season in D.C. (5-0, 2.22 ERA, 2.81 FIP, .221/.272/.299 line against in 11 starts and 56 2⁄3 innings pitched before the trip to the IL), he returned to make two starts late, in which Williams picked up where he’d left off months earlier.
“I never once doubted that he wouldn’t pitch again,” manager Davey Martinez told reporters after the second of two outings for Williams late in the year, “…. but for him to come out and do what he’s done — after missing significant time as well — again, it’s a testament to who he is and what he’s trying to do, and that’s to help us win games.”
Trevor Williams, Wicked 77mph Sweeper. pic.twitter.com/eWvhCfQuYU
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 30, 2024
“He’s another guy that competes every time I put him out there,” Martinez added of the nine-year veteran’s effort for the club.
“He gives me everything he has. He’s meant a lot in the last couple years to the organization and to that clubhouse as well.”
In his two post-IL stint starts, Williams, who missed 99 games between starts, gave up just one run on six hits and two walks, finishing up with five scoreless in his final outing.
He finished the second year of his 2-year/$13M deal with the Nationals with a 2.03 ERA, 2.79 FIP, 18 walks (2.43 BB/9), 59 Ks (7.97 K/9), and a .214/.265/.294 line against in 13 games and 66 2⁄3 IP, in which the right-hander, who led the NL with 34 HRs allowed in 30 starts and 144 1⁄3 IP in 2023 (2.12 HR/9), gave up just three this season (0.41 HR/9).
“His 2.03 ERA was the lowest in a season in Nationals’ history (min. 10 GS),” the club noted in their Season in Review. They also highlighted the fact that Williams, “… took a [45 1/3] inning homer-less streak into his eighth start on May 14 at Chicago (AL),” and he, “[w]orked at least 5.0 innings and allowed no more than three earned runs in 12 of 13 starts this season [while allowing] one or fewer earned runs in [his] last [four] starts.”
Trevor Williams, Filthy 82mph Changeup. pic.twitter.com/1LQxumldKU
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 19, 2024
“When the league punches back at you, you have to figure out a way to either dodge or punch back, figure out what makes you good,” Williams said, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, of bouncing back from a rough season in 2023 (5.55 ERA, 5.98 FIP, 53 BBs, 111 Ks, .300/.359/.533 line against).
“We had a successful 11 starts prior to getting hurt. And then deep-dived into why that was successful. … I’m excited to see what the league will throw me next season. It’s that constant back-and-forth game. And hopefully I’ll get another opportunity to pitch at this level and go from there.”
With a full-on youth movement in effect late this season, Martinez talked about why he felt it was important for Williams, who’s [likey] headed back to free agency this winter, to get back out on the mound for a few starts late this year.
“One, it’s his free agent year. Two, is that he gets back on a major league mound and goes to compete after working his way back,” the skipper explained.
Trevor Williams, 6th K. pic.twitter.com/eU4v8aziuu
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 25, 2024
“And plus, he was so good the first couple months. We missed him. He was that veteran guy that was giving us innings, that was pitching really well.
“Unfortunately he got hurt,” Martinez continued, “… and now he worked his way back — to come back, and hopefully he takes off right where he left off and he has a good winter.
“The big thing was to get him healthy before the end of the season and try to get him to start a game. And he worked himself to do that.”
As for what the future holds? Martinez wasn’t thinking about anything but Williams being healthy late this season.
“My main thing with him was that he was healthy, and that he leaves here knowing that he’s healthy. He can go and start his winter program. And I know he becomes a free agent, but it’s good for other teams to see him, that he’s healthy. And, honestly, good for us to see that he’s healthy and he’s going out there and competing like he always does.”