2018 Pinstripe Preview: Jonathan Holder

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With one of the most feared bullpens in the sport, the Yankees are a force to be reckoned with. However in a stacked bullpen there is still some room for other Yankees to step up. As of right now, one guy who has a very bright future, if he is able to put it all together, is Jonathan Holder. Many people remember Holder for breaking his belt in his short stint with the Yankees back in 2016, but Holder had a very quiet 2017 season that showed he had a lot of major league potential. Holder, who is just 24 years old, was sent back in forth from the majors and the minors in his first two MLB seasons, but it is looking more and more promising for the hard throwing right hander as he made the team out of spring training.
Photo Credit: NYDN



2017 Review

Minor League (AAA): 12 G, 1.69 ERA 16 IP
0 W, 0 L, 12 K, 8 BB

Major League: 37 G, 3.89 ERA 39.1 IP
1 W, 1 L, 40 K, 8 BB

Jonathan Holder was quietly solid in the role he played for the Yankees last year even with the competition that was surrounding him in the bullpen. Many believed that he would not see much time in 2017, but with the injury bug hitting the bullpen last year, the Yankees couldn’t have asked for anything else from Holder. He was thrown into big spots with not much experience, but quickly gained some trust from skipper Joe Girardi. With little to no problem, Holder quickly began throwing consistent strikes and striking out batters at a rapid pace. In 2017, Holder averaged just around a strikeout an inning. He controls the ball very well and isn’t afraid to challenge even the most lethal hitters in baseball.

Even though he was overlooked by the bigger names in the bullpen, Holder has definitely made a name for himself in the Bronx. He is now a mainstay on the 40-man roster and is most likely there to stay for the 2018 season. His dominance in the minors and his stints of consistency with the Yankees has shown the future could be bright for Holder.  2018 is set to be a good one for not only the Yankees, but the little town man from Mississippi.

2018 Outlook

With one of the top bullpens in all of baseball, Holder will most likely be one of the guys to eat up dead innings for the Yankees. Whether they’re winning  or losing by ten, it is expected for Holder to be that guy to eat away innings. This spring Holder shined as he did what he has always done, throw strikes and get outs. He finished the spring with a 1.64 ERA in just 11 innings of work. One stat that stands away from the rest was the fact that he had 12 strikeouts and didn’t allow a walk.


With the depth in the bullpen, and the hard throwers that the Yankees have from both sides of the rubber, it will be hard for Holder to fit in. However, if he continues to do what he has been doing during his young career, then there isn’t a reason to why he shouldn’t be mentioned with some of the best. He deserves to get the opportunity in big spots to help the Yankees win. My prediction is that Holder will exceed over 60 innings for the Yankees this season, as long as he can stay healthy.

Article by: Cameron Hauze

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