Clay Holmes’ journey as a starter with the Mets is evolving beyond his physical preparation. As he progresses through spring training, he’s moving into a more complex territory—getting deeper into each lineup, and fine-tuning his approach. “It’s more than just throwing sinkers now,” Holmes said on Sunday. 

In a thrilling 7-6 exhibition win over the Nationals, Holmes demonstrated his growing command on the mound, tossing 3 ²/₃ shutout innings and stretching his pitch count to 67. It’s clear: The next phase of his development is about mastering the nuances of starting and making strategic adjustments to outsmart hitters. 

However, before being the Mets starter, Holmes was the Yankees closer. With that, there was a lot of criticism. So how did the 31-year-old get past them, especially when it’s New York? When Clay Holmes joined Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman on their podcast ‘The Show’, the American baseball player answered this question.  

“There’s different perspectives to it. There’s no better place to play baseball than New York. When you experience baseball in New York, there’s a lot of emotions that come with it. Those extremes, they really excite me because in those moments who could have the clearest vision? Who could still have the belief? That’s the separator. It’s a position where you have to rely on your teammates.”

Holmes also added that It’s a position where you know they (teammates) have your back through good times and bad.  

The effective conversion of several seasoned relievers to starting pitchers has been one of the most startling developments of the last multiple Major League Baseball seasons. A good example of this happened in 2023 with Seth Lugo. He finally got the chance to start for the San Diego Padres and finished the season with a 3.57 ERA. Later, he became a Cy Young contender with the Kansas City Royals. The Padres tried the same with Michael King, who had previously been with the New York Yankees. King posted a 2.95 ERA in 30 starts and finished seventh in National League Cy Young voting.

So, seems like Mets are in for something bright!

The Mets might have discovered a future star

The transition from a closer to a starter is challenging, but Clay Holmes seems to be embracing the opportunity with open arms. After years of dominance in the bullpen, posting an ERA under 3.14 for the past three seasons and earning All-Star honors along the way, the New York Mets are betting big on Holmes as their next successful conversion.  

The three-year, $33 million deal he signed with the Mets signals their belief that Holmes still has untapped potential in the starting rotation.

Although it’s early, with just three spring training starts under his belt, Holmes has already made a statement. In 9.2 scoreless innings, he’s struck out 13 batters while allowing just two hits.   

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel has even gone as far as to predict that Holmes will be one of the breakout stars of the 2025 season, a bold but potentially accurate call based on his impressive spring training performance. Clay Holmes’ transformation could be one of the most exciting storylines of the upcoming season. If he can continue to harness his stuff and maintain the command he’s shown this spring, the Mets may have found themselves a future ace in a spot where they least expected it. 

Do you agree?