Mets Announce Clay Holmes Decision Before Cardinals Series

Ahead of their series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Mets announced the decision to give Holmes the ball for the series finale on Sunday. Having last pitched on Monday, this gives him more rest than would be typical for a starter, but New York has to reintegrate Griffin Canning into the starting rotation.

Canning will go Thursday, followed by David Peterson, Kodai Senga and Holmes.

The decision to entrust him Holmes a starting role speaks volumes about the organization’s belief in his long-term potential. It signals that the Mets pitching staff is confident in Holmes’s ability to deliver quality performances over multiple innings, thanks largely to his intelligent pitch sequencing and advanced command.

In his five innings of work, Holmes recorded eight strikeouts and allowed just one run, bringing his cumulative strikeout total to 18 over his last two starts. This impressive run of performances demonstrates his growing influence on the pitching staff and his ability to dictate the rhythm of the game. 

One of the standout developments during his standout spring training was the debut of a new pitch—the “kick change.” This modified changeup features a subtle drop and lateral tailing action, and it has quickly become a valuable weapon in his repertoire. Holmes has shown an ability to locate this pitch with precision, generating more swings and misses while producing softer contact from batters.

A key metric that underscores Holmes’ effectiveness is the concept of whiffs—a term used to describe every time a batter swings at a pitch and misses. Whiffs serve as an important measure of a pitch’s deception, movement, and velocity. In this game, his pitch usage was telling: his sinker, used 40% of the time, yielded 5 whiffs thanks to its heavy downward movement that made it difficult for batters to square up, while his changeup, thrown 24% of the time, produced 6 whiffs, likely enhanced by the integration of his new “kick change.” 

Although his slider (13%), cutter (8%), 4-seam fastball (8%), and sweeper (7%) did not register additional whiffs, their varied movement ensured that Twins hitters were kept off balance and could never settle into a predictable rhythm. Generating such high whiff totals is essential, as it not only contributes directly to strikeout numbers but also minimizes the risk of solid contact that could result in extra-base hits.

One of the defining moments of the outing came in the early innings when Holmes used a perfectly placed fastball to freeze Minnesota shortstop Carlos Correa. This pitch, delivered with firmness, directness, and impeccable timing, caught Correa completely off guard and set the tone for the efficiency and control Holmes would maintain throughout his start.

Overall, Holmes’ performance was a clear statement in his ongoing evolution from reliever to a reliable starting pitcher. His growing comfort with an expanded pitch mix, reinforced by the development of the “kick change,” exemplifies his commitment to mastering the demands of a starter. As the season progresses, consistent outings like this will be crucial for the Mets, solidifying Holmes’s role and affirming the organization’s faith in his potential to deliver quality starts night after night.