PORT ST. LUCIE — As a pitcher who makes his living on ground-ball outs, Clay Holmes is always aware of baserunners. With MLB’s new rules encouraging more runners to steal over the last two seasons, Holmes has had to be even more cautious on the mound.
So when Christian Walker hit a foul ball that was ruled fair to right field Thursday afternoon in a Grapefruit League game, Holmes was happy to be able to finally work with a baserunner in a game. Had the ball been ruled foul, the Mets’ right-handed reliever-turned-starter would have had six perfect innings to start the spring slate.
“I think it was good to be able to throw with some runners on today, just to kind of feel the game and work on a few pick offs and holding a runner a second, those types of things,” Holmes said after the Mets shut out the Houston Astros 5-0 at Clover Park. “It’s always good to have in spring training just to be able to work on [controlling the running game] and just feel the speed of the game.”
For all the things the Mets did well last season, the running game was their Achilles’ heel. As a group, the Mets allowed 140 stolen bases, tied for the fifth-most in baseball. Runners were successful on about 80% of their attempts. Manager Carlos Mendoza has admitted that the team was exposed in this area, and the Mets have vowed to get better in 2025.
They may be able to limit the damage with Holmes on the mound.
“I’ve always been a ground ball guy, so it’s important to keep the guys at first base [to] keep the double play in order. So that was something that really became a priority of mine a few years back, is to be able to do that,” Holmes said. “That was one reason why I widened out my stretch stance. It’s a little hard to get jumps off of me, I’m fast to the plate because of it, and it really simplifies things.”
The Yankees previously used Holmes’ high-leverage innings. Typically, this is a role for a power arm. Guys with high strikeout rates are often preferred for these roles because they probabilities say they’re less likely to advance runners on ground balls. However, it was a benefit to Holmes, who put an extra emphasis on holding runners on base that he thinks will benefit him as a starting pitcher.
“In leverage spots down the bullpen, those runs mean a lot, and you have to be able to do that,” Holmes said. “I think that’s going to really pay off, especially being a starter, where you have to keep double plays in order and keep people out of scoring position. It’s a huge thing for me, especially for a guy that relies on the ground balls, I have to do it. I’ve learned some things in the years past, but it’s always something you have to stay on top of and really make sure that they’re not picking up any trends, or you’re not showing anything, and that you’re just really on top of part of your game.”
Holmes has yet to allow an earned run in six innings of work this spring. Victor Caratini hit a soft comebacker to Holmes, who easily made the putout at first base for the third out. The long inning was beneficial for him to work through things in an environment that was less controlled than a team practice. The next two innings were efficient enough for him to go down to the bullpen and throw about 18 more pitches to simulate a fourth up.
“I feel like I was in a great spot to keep pitching even after I finished there,” he said. “I felt a lot better than last time I did when I finished the bullpen. So I can see him continue to kind of adjust to the workload and really feel like things are trending in a good direction.”
BRETT’S BAT
Brett Baty hit his second home run of spring training Thursday, a two-run homer off right-hander Miguel Ullola. It was a line drive over the right field fence that went nearly 110 MPH off the bat, which was encouraging to the Mets.
The problem for Baty has been being able to translate his spring results at the plate into the regular season. The Mets are seeing improvements, especially when it comes to getting the ball in the air, and with a utility spot up for grabs, the improvements could be coming at the right time.
“Those line drives are turning into homers because he’s got that power,” said manager Carlos Mendoza “He’s in a good spot right now.”
CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS
Former ace Dwight “Doc” Gooden came through camp Thursday, taking in batting practice and defensive drills from the Clover Park dugout. Also on hand were former Mets greats Carlos Beltran and John Franco, who have been in camp as guest instructors this week, and Victor Zambrano.
Noted Mets fan Jerry Seinfeld was also in attendance Thursday, taking in the Grapefruit League game.
However, the most popular figure with the team was Buddy, the dog the Mets are sponsoring in service school. Buddy took a plane ride for the first time, a big step in his service dog training, and interacted with players during batting practice under the watchful eyes of his trainers. Named for late Mets infielder and coach Bud Harrelson, Buddy will go to a military veteran after he completes service dog school.
DOMINICAN DANDIES
Juan Soto was presented with the 2024 Juan Marichal Award by the Dominican Dandy himself before the Mets hosted the Astros. The award is presented annually to the top Dominican player in the game. The award, which is voted on by members of the Dominican media, was presented Feb. 27, the country’s Independence Day. The country declared its independence from Haiti on February 27, 1844.