The Yankees are seeing brilliant version of former closer when they need him most

It’s September 3rd, and the Yankees are trying to hold onto a 5-4 lead over the Rangers in the middle of a tightly contested AL East race.

Clay Holmes had the bases loaded with just one out, but Aaron Boone has chosen to keep him in because the right-hander is always just one pitch away from getting a game-ending double play ball. Rookie sensation Wyatt Langford launched a grand slam, giving the Rangers the win and marking the end of Holmes’ time as the closer of the New York Yankees. Boone would demote him from the role, going to Luke Weaver in the ninth inning instead, a move that helped them pull away from the Orioles for the division late in the season.

Nobody wanted to see Clay Holmes in high leverage, but during the American League Division Series, the Yankees turned to their controversial bullpen weapon, and he did nothing but deliver when his team needed him most.

Dominant Playoff Series From Clay Holmes Helps Send the Yankees to ALCS

Clay Holmes attacked the Royals’ scrappy lineup with sinkers galore, and they swung out of their shoes trying to do something against it. With just one walk and three hits allowed across five innings, Holmes shut down the Kansas City lineup whenever he was brought into a game. The Yankees used him in all four games of the series, and while his 16.7% strikeout rate isn’t dominant, he generated a 57.1% groundball rate and threw a vicious sinker that neutralized the opponent’s power.

His entire season was marred by a regression in his sinker’s effectiveness, as it went from a reliable weapon to his most hittable pitch during the regular season. The inability to put batters away with it made him a complete liability in high leverage, even if some of the contact was unlucky. Some would point to the fact that by inviting contact, Holmes had created the back luck for himself, and while that could be true to some extent it doesn’t change that the success of the sinker is crucial to his success on the mound.

There was a sharp increase in Stuff+ on Clay Holmes’ sinker after he was removed from the closer role, with a 120 Stuff+ on the pitch compared to the mediocre 99 it graded out at previously. As the pitch has returned to being a buzzsaw weapon for Holmes, the Yankees have turned to him as their primary set-up man, and he’s the perfect complement to Luke Weaver who has become their unofficial closer.

With a sharp sinker and a pair of vicious sliders, Holmes doesn’t throw a single pitch that Weaver features in his arsenal, as hitters go from seeing a 96-98 MPH bowling ball sinker to that same velocity range with a riding fastball at the top of the zone. The two were flawless in their outings this October, as both of them featured in each game of the series, allowing just six runners to reach across 9.1 innings of work.

If Clay Holmes is on, the Yankees have a dynamic bullpen duo that heads a group of excellent arms. Ian Hamilton, Tommy Kahnle, Jake Cousins, and Tim Hill are all more than capable of getting big outs and could shorten a game for a starter who runs into trouble. Gerrit Cole’s Game 4 performance was marvelous, but it was the only quality start New York got in the first round of the playoffs. Their bullpen likely won’t have Luis Gil available in a four-game series as the Yankees will likely expand to a four-man rotation, but the group still has a bevy of reliable pitchers.

Credit also goes to Aaron Boone here, who had a quick hook for his pitchers and helped stop any potential bleeding during the series. Once Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and even Gerrit Cole found themselves in trouble the Yankees didn’t hesitate to pull them, and it allowed his excellent bullpen to shine on a big stage. Furthermore, his faith in Clay Holmes has paid off massive dividends, as there’s no telling how Games 1, 3, or 4 go if the Yankees hadn’t received scoreless frames from their former closer.

The Yankees need Clay Holmes to stay sharp if they want to go all the way in the postseason, as it’ll be all hands on deck in this ALCS which kicks off on Monday. It’ll either be the Cleveland Guardians or Detroit Tigers heading to the Bronx for Game 1, as New York has earned the ability to recover over the weekend and gear up for a huge series. Since 2010, the Yankees have been to six different ALCS rounds, but they’ve lost each of them.

Its the longest streak in the history of the Championship Series, and the Yankees are hoping to snap it and advance to the World Series for the first time since 2009.

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