The New York Mets made one of the offseason’s boldest moves by signing former New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes and converting him into a full-time starting pitcher– a transition Holmes describes as “perfect so far.”
The right-hander, who signed a three-year, $38 million deal with the Mets, has emerged as a critical piece in the team’s pitching rotation, helping the club remain among the National League’s top teams and in first place in the NL East.
Holmes has quickly adapted to his new role. After his latest outing, a six-inning, one-run performance against the Cubs on Friday, the 32-year-old is now 5-1 with a 2.74 ERA in eight starts. He’s doing it with a six-pitch arsenal and a methodical mindset developed over years as a high-leverage reliever.
“As a starter, it’s just very different,” Holmes told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “You spend the week preparing for that moment… the starter routine and being able to make a huge impact on that one game is something I enjoy more than I thought.”
This mindset shift came after multiple teams approached Holmes last winter to explore the possibility of starting. While a few clubs offered him more money as a reliever, the Mets won him over with their detailed pitching analytics.
He found familiarity in manager Carlos Mendoza and pitching coach Desi Druschel, both former Yankees staff members, and confidence in New York’s vision.
“So far, this journey has been great, and this thing honestly has worked out perfectly so far,” Holmes added.
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Clay Holmes’ transition to starter is not the usual route
Holmes’ transition is one of baseball’s rare reversals, from bullpen to rotation. Few pitchers have made this switch successfully, but Holmes appears to be defying expectations. His mix includes a devastating changeup, which he reintroduced for left-handed batters, and he already is at nearly 43 innings pitched, more than halfway to his career-high of 70 innings in 2021.
Holmes was a starter in the minor leagues for a while and did log 136 innings in 2016, but that was nearly a decade ago.
The Mets’ pitching rotation has benefited from Holmes’ durability and preparation, especially with veterans like Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas missing time.
As the season progresses, New York is cautiously managing Holmes’ workload, using a six-man rotation to keep arms fresh, although it does put pressure on their bullpen, which has to play a man short since MLB limits rosters to 13 pitchers in total.
With each outing, Holmes continues to prove that the Mets bet wisely. His transformation from the New York Yankees closer to a dependable starting pitcher for the Mets might end up being one of the most valuable moves of the 2025 season.
