In the hours following the trade deadline, Yankees closer Clay Holmes encountered his eighth blown save of the season during Tuesday night’s game. Despite this setback, the Yankees managed to clinch a 7-6 victory against the Phillies in a 12-inning marathon.
While Holmes didn’t allow hard-hit balls leading to baserunners in the ninth inning, he did throw a game-tying wild pitch. This incident highlights a recurring issue for the closer this season, where soft contact has often led to unfavorable outcomes. Although inducing weak contact is a key component of his pitching strategy, even softly hit balls can result in base hits.
Adding to concerns, Holmes’ strikeout rate of 23.6% entering Wednesday’s game falls significantly short of the Yankees’ usual expectations for their closer, potentially increasing his vulnerability on the mound.
Holmes did show signs of improvement on Wednesday, successfully closing out a 6-5 win that sealed a series sweep. However, the narrative of “tough luck” has been a consistent theme in many of his’ unsuccessful outings, with a noticeable pattern in how he tends to falter.
While Holmes struggled notably in a blown save against the Red Sox the previous Friday, his overall statistics present a complex picture. Prior to Wednesday’s save, he ranked in the top percentile for groundball rate and near the top for average exit velocity.
Despite these positive metrics, Holmes had been experiencing a challenging stretch. In his 14 appearances before Wednesday, he posted a worrying 6.28 ERA and failed to convert five save opportunities. His season-long statistics show a 2.82 ERA with 22 successful saves out of 30 attempts.
Insider Bob Klapisch warned the Yankees against reliance on Holmes in the postseason. He wrote:
“Holmes creates bad luck by generating traffic. That is his fault. There’s no better antidote to a budding rally than Strike Three. Unfortunately, the Yankees Holmes doesn’t have a put-away pitch that inspires confidence in his dugout, let alone YES viewers. Imagine the agita of watching Holmes in Game Seven of the World Series. Don’t misunderstand: Holmes has gifts. His sinker is a sight to behold, not only in its downward trajectory but its simultaneous lateral movement. Holmes’ ball sometimes wind-shears all 17 inches from one side of the plate to the other. That’s the eighth wonder of the world. And velocity? He’s got that, too. Holmes maxed out at 98.2-mph with movement against Bryce Harper on Tuesday. That’s insane. So how is it that opponents are batting .260 against Holmes this season? That’s 42 points higher than in 2023 and a 76-point uptick since he was acquired by the Yankees in 2021.”
Analyzing the Yankees’ bullpen, Clay Holmes’ tenure as closer raises some concerns. Despite boasting an impressive ground ball ratio and soft contact rates, he has struggled under pressure, leading the majors with eight blown saves this season.
Tuesday’s game against the Phillies underscored his difficulty in securing critical strikeouts when needed. Although the Yankees clinched a 7-6 victory in extra innings, Holmes’ ninth-inning collapse extended the game beyond regulation.
Holmes’ recent outing against the Phillies underscored his struggles. Despite his high-velocity pitches, he failed to record any strikeouts and allowed the tying run through soft hits and a wild pitch. This performance came just after the trade deadline, spotlighting the missed opportunity to acquire Tanner Scott, who has been exceptional in his recent appearances.
However, as October looms, the importance of a reliable closer cannot be overstated. The pressure of postseason baseball demands consistency, and the Yankees will need to address the closer role to maximize their championship aspirations.
According to Klapisch, Holmes’ inconsistency poses a critical challenge for the Yankees in their playoff push. While his skills are valuable, his difficulties in closing out games could become a significant liability, especially in pivotal postseason moments. With 53 games left and a tight race for the postseason, manager Aaron Boone might need to explore alternative options for the closer role.
Judge leads Yankees’ backing of Clay Holmes
Cashman and Boone have voiced unwavering confidence in Clay Holmes as the Yankees‘ closer, despite his recent difficulties. They attribute much of his’ struggles to bad luck rather than a decline in his performance, pointing out that while hitters have had more success against his sinker this season, the contact hasn’t been harder than in previous years.
General Manager Brian Cashman voiced confidence in Holmes on Wednesday and the existing bullpen, emphasizing that his strategy during the trade period was to acquire top talent rather than specifically seeking closers. This led to the additions of right-handed relievers Mark Leiter Jr. from the Cubs and Enyel De Los Santos from the Pirates.
“I’m comfortable with Clay Holmes [and] comfortable with what we have,” the Yankees GM told. “I’m more comfortable with what we added to what we had. I didn’t enter the marketplace looking for closers. I entered the marketplace looking for the best available talent.”
However, it was Aaron Judge who backed the closer to the hilt.
“That’s our closer… I really don’t care what anybody else has to say,” Judge said when asked about Clay Holmes. “He’s been our guy and I want him out there in any situation. Bases loaded, no outs. Extra innings, bottom nine, top nine–that’s our guy. I think you ask everybody in this room, they want him on the mound in that situation. He’s been there, done that and we’ve got faith in him. I don’t really care what anyone else has to say.”
Holmes’ performance since mid-June has raised concerns, with five blown saves in seven opportunities and 14 runs (10 earned) allowed, along with 19 hits and four walks over his last 14 appearances. Despite these struggles, both Aaron Judge and manager Aaron Boone have publicly supported him.
In Wednesday’s 6-5 victory over the Phillies, Holmes secured the save with a scoreless ninth inning, though not without tense moments. He gave up a hard-hit single to Kyle Schwarber and a deep fly ball to Austin Hays before inducing a game-ending double play from Bryce Harper. Boone acknowledged the nervousness during Hays’ at-bat but praised Holmes for keeping the ball in the park.
The closer expressed gratitude for his teammates’ support, especially Judge’s comments. He admitted his desire for more control over situations and better results for the team. Holmes also noted that as a ground-ball pitcher, outcomes can be unpredictable.
“It means a lot for my teammates to have my back there,’’ the closer said about Judge’s support. “No doubt, I wish it was a situation I could control more and put up better results to help the team. I can’t control everything. I’m a pitcher who relies on ground balls and it may not go your way.”
Cashman emphasized that Holmes remains an elite reliever in his eyes, suggesting that recent results don’t accurately reflect his pitching quality. The acquisition of Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel De Los Santos was aimed at providing more late-game options for Boone, rather than addressing any perceived issues with Holmes.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
