Yankees 2024 Roster Report Cards: Clay Holmes

There aren't many players in the New York sports world who receive as much vitriol as Clay Holmes. Some of it is warranted and has been for a while. However, it's a hard gig, especially when you're the closer for a franchise that had the best in history at the position for so long.

Greatness is expected, as it always is with the Yankees . And for Holmes, it's hard to say he has lived up to that standard more times than he didn't.

Grade:

Free Agent

If there's one thing that Holmes isn't, it's consistent. He began the 2024 season by not giving up runs...like, at all. In 13.1 innings pitched through the end of March and the entirety of April, Holmes did not give up an earned run. The first one he gave up came on May 20th, and by the time mid-June rolled around, he still had an ERA below 2.00.

However, this is a movie Yankees fans have seen before. Holmes' performance began to worsen night after night. Despite clamoring from fans to remove him from the closer role, manager Aaron Boone continued to trot him out in high leverage situations, and it felt as if every time he got burned. Holmes led the league in blown saves with 13, four more than the next-worst player — Jalen Beeks of the Pittsburgh Pirates .

In both June and July, Holmes allowed seven runs, with six of them being earned in June and four of them earned in July. June was easily his worst month of the season, posting a 5.59 ERA in 9.2 IP, putting Yankees fans on Holmes watch the rest of the season.

Boone finally decided to remove Holmes from the Yankees closer role all together, adopting a more "closer by committee" approach that effectively turned into Luke Weaver. After giving up a walk-off grand slam to Wyatt Langford on September 3, the Yankees coaching staff decided that it was probably for the best to try out other options at the position.

Holmes appeared to thrive not being in the closer role. In high-leverage situations according to FanGraphs, batters against the Yankees righty had an .307 average. He didn't give up home runs, but he allowed hits, and that cost the Yankees multiple games.

Especially during the Yankees' run to the American League pennant, Holmes proved his worth. Of course, the entire group of relievers was strong throughout the postseason. But Holmes, despite the fans continued outcry to not play him, was one of the best pitchers in the Yankees bullpen . In 12.0 innings pitched, Holmes had a 2.25 ERA, and even though his peripherals were worse in the postseason than the regular season, he was a major asset when called upon.

Holmes' career with the Yankees has been full of ups and downs. Through the 2024 season it felt as if there were more bad times than good. However, the peripherals would tell a different story than what those who attended the games would argue. It felt as if Holmes was always involved when the Yankees were suffering their worst losses of the season, even if his overall body of work wasn't bad.

Whether he will be back with the Yankees is uncertain, but one thing is for sure: his role as a closer was usurped after what Weaver did in that position. Holmes is a useful bullpen arm, and he should fetch a solid contract on the market, but his reliability as a closer is very much up in the air.