New York Yankees reliever Clay Holmes has a 3.28 ERA in 2024. That doesn’t seem so bad on the surface, but the number goes up to 4.22 in the second half and a horrible 8.53 in September. He also has a whopping 13 blown saves this season alone.
Those who have seen the Yankees this year know that, at the moment, no lead is safe with Holmes on the mound. The team has tried everything to get him going, with no results. His struggles eventually cost him the closer role, as the Yankees are now employing Luke Weaver in the ninth inning.
Aaron Boone is determined to get Clay Holmes going
Yankees manager Aaron Boone, however, is determined to get Holmes going despite the obvious risks associated with using him in high-leverage spots:
“Yes, that’s my hope, and hopefully he gets into some key spots here this week and we get him going because if you are going to make a long run in the postseason you kind of need everyone,” Boone said to the folks at Talkin’ Yanks.
The Yankees might be playing with fire
The idea, per Boone, is to try to get him into spots where he can be most effective:
“I do feel like he’s throwing the ball well. Hopefully we have a good week with him and build some momentum going into the postseason,” he stated.
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Despite elite stuff, Holmes hasn’t been getting consistently good results lately. His manager has his back, though, and that’s impossible to deny. If the Yankees get the best version of Holmes back, they could be close to unbeatable. At this point, however, it might be an unrealistic ask given how little time there is until the postseason starts.
Deploying Holmes in close and late situations in October could backfire in a big way. Losses in the playoffs are much, much costlier than in the regular season.
