Clay Holmes Deserves More Appreciation

For the past four seasons, Yankees reliever Clay Holmes has been one of the better arms in their bullpen. Since coming over in a trade, Holmes has appeared in 156 games going 16-10 with an ERA of 2.45, a WHIP of 1.053, and 47 saves. On top of all that, he’s only given up six home runs. The 31-year-old even made an all-star team in 2022 and got into the game! However, despite the solid statistics, other relievers both on the team and around the league have received more praise. I believe Clay Holmes deserves more appreciation.

Breaking Out With The Yankees

On July 26th of 2021, Clay Holmes came over in a trade with the Pirates that netted Pittsburgh minor leaguers Hoy Park and Diego Castillo. Upon arriving in New York, Holmes’s MLB career was on life support. In four seasons with Pittsburgh, Holmes went 5-7 with an ERA of 5.57 and a 1.638 WHIP. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, they gave up too early on Holmes. The two minor leaguers acquired in the trade are no longer with the Pirates.

After working with pitching coach Matt Blake, Clay Holmes completely transformed as a pitcher. In 25 appearances down the stretch, Holmes went 5-2 with an ERA of 1.61 and a WHIP of 0.786. Holmes’s efforts helped the Yankees clinch a spot in the postseason as a wild-card team. He even made an appearance in the postseason pitching two scoreless innings in a losing effort to the Boston Red Sox.

In May 2022, Clay Holmes took over the Yankees’ closer role when Aroldis Chapman went on the injured list. It became a bit of a breakout year for Clay Holmes. That year, Holmes converted a save in 29 straight games shattering the franchise record set by Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera. He would be one of six Yankees selected to appear in that season’s all-star game. Holmes would finish the 2022 season going 7-4 with 20 saves and an ERA of 2.54. He would once again appear in the postseason pitching in the ALDS and ALCS without giving up a run.

Most Effective Yankee Reliever Since 2021

Since 2021, Clay Holmes’s 2.45 ERA has made him one of the most effective relievers in the Yankees bullpen. He has come a long way from being in danger of being out of baseball. The past two seasons Holmes has saved 20 or more games for the Bronx Bombers. So far this season, Holmes has already picked up three saves and has had yet to give up a run.

Mariano Rivera’s Very Large Shadow

Unfortunately for Holmes and anyone else who becomes the closer, they’ll always be compared to the legendary Mariano Rivera. For 16 seasons, Yankee fans were spoiled with Rivera making a win almost a sure thing. This means that whenever Holmes or another Yankee pitcher blows a save, the scrutiny is more intense. Unfortunately for Holmes, unless he morphs into the second coming of the Yankee legend, fans will never be satisfied.

Holmes’s Pitching Style Is “Boring”

Another reason why Holmes is perhaps so underappreciated is he’s not an overpowering closer like Josh Hader, Edwin Diaz, or Camilo Doval. Those three pitchers get batters out with pitches reaching over 100 MPH which fans love. Meanwhile, Clay Holmes isn’t that kind of pitcher. Holmes primarily uses his sinker while mixing in a sweeper and sometimes a slider. He very rarely throws a fastball. Some fans might call his style of pitching boring or unentertaining. However, it has proven to be effective since he arrived in the Bronx.

Clay Holmes Is Off To A Good Start

This season is a contract year for Clay Holmes as he’ll be eligible for free agency once this season ends. Due to injuries to Tommy Kahnle, Scott Effross, and Lou Trivino, the Yankees bullpen is thin right now. However, Holmes has done a good job stepping up in their absence. So far, Clay Holmes is off to a good start this season. Given all that he’s done, it’s time Yankee fans learn to appreciate him more.

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