When the New York Yankees made about five transactions with an ERA for a Pittsburgh Pirates reliever, everyone was scratching their heads.
Move quickly after a few months, and it all makes sense: Clay Holmes needs a few mechanical and approach adjustments to unlock his potential.
That is the possibility we see today: a completely effective reliever that is able to go about two months without the permission of the acquired run.
“Clay Holmes has played 22 consecutive scoreless innings in his last 20 games. Wild, ”Tokin Yanks tweeted.
Clay Holmes has played 22 consecutive scoreless innings in his last 20 games. Wild pic.twitter.com/S7iAt82lxN
– Tokin Yanks (@ Tokin Yanks) May 25, 2022
It’s, really, wild.
The Yankees have entered the season as the best and deepest single in bullpen baseball.
And it has happened in most cases… until recently, at least.
We need to see how the group reacts to the loss of some unexpected fighting stars like Chad Green (Tommy John Surgery), Aroldis Chapman (Achilles Injury, Should Come Back Soon), and Jonathan Loesiga and Miguel Castro.
Holmes has been the best reliever in the best bullpen
Even Michael King, who started the season on fire, looked weak in recent outings.
But one constant is Holmes.
The right-handed sinker-slider expert has so far boasted a 0.40 ERA and 1.49 fielding independent pitching (FIP) in 22.2 innings.
He gave up just two walks and hit 23 enemies.
Holmes admits to walking more than he has earned, which is not surprising.
The only run he had surrendered in 2022 came on 9 April.
In a few weeks, if he can avoid the run he has earned, he will spend two months without a run.
Death to his sinker-slider combo heaters, and now that Chapman is on the 15-day injured list, he’s seeing some more high-stakes work.