The New York Yankees lost the Little League Classic to the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in 10 innings, with Clay Holmes’ 10th failed save of the season in the centre of attention. As of now, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has committed to Holmes as the closer.
“Yeah. “Look, we’ll see as we go,” Aaron Boone told NJ.com’s Max Goodman. “We have a lot of great possibilities. Clay has had some bad breaks, resulting in 10 blown saves. The reality is that he throws the ball exceptionally well. That said, we have a lot of people who can throw the ball well in various scenarios. Right now, Clay is the guy.
The Yankees were leading 1-0 going into the bottom of the ninth inning when Holmes entered the game. Holmes eventually gave up a two-out, RBI single to Jace Jung, tying the game at one. Holmes had a strong start to the season, but he has blown 10 saves subsequently and has received harsh criticism from the Yankees supporters.
New York typically has a solid bullpen, and while the team is not necessarily poor this year, there are some questions about the top people to rely on in the playoffs.
Should the Yankees eliminate Clay Holmes as their closer?
Boone and the Yankees appear to believe that Holmes’ blown saves this season were the result of a string of poor luck. When looking at his statistics this season, you can see some of that. According to Baseball Reference, Holmes’ BABIP this season is.341, the highest it has been since joining the Yankees, up from.301 in 2023,.262 in 2022, and.254 after being traded to New York from the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021.
While Holmes is prone to walking batters when he struggles, his BABIP suggests that he is getting unlucky. As a ground ball pitcher, Holmes needs a strong defensive infield. Shortstop Anthony Volpe is an excellent defensive player, but there are questions at other positions, particularly with Jazz Chisholm Jr. out due to injury. Gleyber Torres isn’t recognised for his defence, and DJ LeMahieu isn’t the defender he once was.
Other bullpen options for the Yankees include Mark Leiter Jr. and Jake Cousins, although it is unclear whether either pitcher can handle the closer role.
Boone appeared more willing to make a change at closer, claiming that Holmes is the closer “right now.” The reality is that Holmes could still be the Yankees’ best option in the ninth inning.
