Clay Holmes, the New York Yankees pitcher, had an above-average 2022 season before falling on the injury list.
The New York Yankees made a key addition to their bullpen in 2021 by acquiring right-handed reliever Clay Holmes from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He recorded a 3.60 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 70 innings. Moving to the 2022 season, the reliever started the season with a bang but had to sit on the injury list for a brief period of time. Subsequently, his numbers fell significantly post his return.
Meanwhile, this season, Clay Holmes will find himself in the spotlight as the pitchers are in high demand post back-to-back injuries. With almost the whole of the starting rotation entering the injury list, the depth present in the bullpen had a chance to step up and grab this rare opportunity to cement a place in the starting lineup. Here are Clay Holmes’s 2023 MLB season stats projections.
Yankees Analysts Discuss Clay Holmes’ 2023 Projections, Reveals A Key Plan Of Action
A couple of analysts on the Talkin Yanks podcast discussed Clay Holmes’ 2023 projections. They pointed out a key difference in his stats from last season. The podcasters stated that before the injury, Holmes was a beast and dominated the entire first half. However, due to an incessant workload, the reliever ended up on the injury list and lost his form thereafter. Hence, the duo suggested the New York Yankees to limit his game time in the first half of the season and use it to his full potential in the post-season run.
On the other hand, Clay Holmes’ 2023 MLB season projections are not very different from 2022. According to pinstripealley.com, Holmes is most likely to record a 3.77 ERA, 3.50 FIP, and 1.23 WHIP. However, it is worth noting that things can change drastically if the reliever utilizes his two-pitch mix, sliders, and sinkers mindfully. Moreover, maintaining full health should be Holmes’ key goal. Despite these concerns, analysts believe that Holmes could be a key contributor to the New York Yankees bullpen this season.
After Carlos Rodon, Yankees Hit By Another Major Injury Blow
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees pitching rotation is absolutely in shatters after back-to-back injuries. Just after Frankie Montas and Nestor Cortes limped out of the camp, the club’s key starter, Carlos Rodon, ended up on the injury list. He will start the season on the IL after suffering from a strain in his left forearm. Moreover, Rodon is likely to mark his return around mid to late April if the injury receives no further damage.
In the meantime, the New York Yankees have dealt yet another major blow as their regular center fielder, Harrison Bader, left the spring training camp to get some tests done for oblique injury concern. These kinds of injuries are tricky to manage, and hence Bader is currently ruled out indefinitely. This also means that, just like last season, Aaron Judge will have to move from right to enter to cover for Bader in defense.
