Clay Holmes may be key to New York Mets' rotation

Clay Holmes may be the forgotten man in the 2026 New York Mets rotation.

Recently acquired Freddy Peralta is the unquestioned ace of the Mets staff. Kodai Senga has displayed the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation starter in his own right, but has struggled to stay healthy and fell apart when he returned from a strained right hamstring. Top pitching prospect Nolan McLean showed ace potential during his eight-game stint with the Mets, and could take on that role by the start of the 2027 season.

Holmes, meanwhile, had a quietly respectable 2025 season after he was converted to the rotation. He posted a 3.53 ERA and a 1.304 WHiP in his 165.2 innings, striking out 129 batters with 66 walks. Although the Mets managed Holmes' workload in the second half, he was one of the few pitchers not to struggle after the All-Star Break, posting a 3.90 ERA and a 1.380 WHiP in 62.1 innings.

Training wheels coming off New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes in 2026

Holmes has already reported to spring training, getting work in with the Mets ahead of the World Baseball Classic in March. He also mentioned the rotation as an area that the Mets needed to make improvements, saying that while there is a lot of talent, they need to be able to reach their potential.

Holmes will be a key part of that. He showed his potential during the 2025 season while throwing enough innings to be one of just 24 National League pitchers to qualify for the ERA title. Now Holmes has to build upon that momentum to become a stabilizing presence in the middle of the rotation.

The Mets' starting rotation has a great deal of talent but plenty of question marks. If Holmes can take the ball every fifth day and continue to give the Mets a strong performance each time, he could be the key to their success in 2026.