Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | OAK | RHP | 10 | 45 |
Grades Update: Feb 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | CT | SL | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 40 | 55 | 45 | 50 | 40 | 40/40 |
Feb 2021 Report
Evaluator: Joe Drake
Age: 25 yr
Height: 6-0
Weight: 226 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/R
Acquired: 2014 Round 1 (LAD)
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster
Physical Description: Shorter frame for pitcher but well built. Broad shoulders, filled out; wide back; pronounced butt and strong thighs. Long legs for frame. Frame is close to maxed if not maxed. A touch on the thick side. Visibly frustrated when he can't find the zone. Quiet confidence on the mound, knows when he's made his pitch. Live arm. Shoulder injury caused him to miss most of 2018; Biceps tendinitis in early 2019.
Delivery & Mechanics: Full windup; leg kick to the letters, hands mimic the leg. Sits into drive leg a little and gets into glutes pretty well. Arm action drops down behind butt and whips through at 3/4s slot. Average separation; arm generally on time. Moderate effort, finishes high. Leg kick almost disappears from stretch, pace quickens slightly. Quick pick move.
Fastball: 94-95, t96; some ride and solid run. Blows it by hitters at the top of the zone, paints corners on both sides of the plate and can run it in on the hands of righties for groundballs and pop-ups. Can reach back for more when he needs it; holds velo from stretch. Do it all pitch. Yanks it low gloveside when he overthrows. A little too straight to live over the heart. Grade: 55
Cutter: 90-93; slight cut and depth. Used mostly against righties to induce weak contact. Not a swing and miss pitch. Grade: 45
Slider: 82-85; tight spin with sharp, late bite. Steep, vertical shape with a little sweep to it, 11-5. Manipulates shape a bit, slowing it down a touch for more depth. Gets whiffs with regularity, really fools hitters. Mirrors fastball well and hitters struggle to pick it up out of the hand. Confidence to throw it in any count. Very consistent early in outings, but starts to hump when he gets tired. Grade: 50
Changeup: 88-89; Solid fade, some have more tumble than others, tunnels well with fastball. Limited use, even 2nd time through lineup. Limited separation from fastball. Noncompetitive locations. Lacks feel. Grade: 40
Control and Command: Pounds the edges of the zone, locates chase pitches effectively when he's on. Super efficient, keeps hitters on their toes, doesn't let them relax. Loses the release occasionally, but can recover mid-inning. Command not as strong from the stretch, missing by a little in each direction and leaving the slider up; fades a bit as he tires, too. Tendency to miss up armside or yank it low gloveside. There are days where he can't find the release at all and the outing goes south quickly. Control: 40 | Command: 40
Overall: Holmes has struggled to stay healthy throughout his pro career, but still has an above-average fastball/slider pairing. Command drives his effectiveness as he's either pounding the edges of the zone or working behind in 3-ball counts -- he has issues maintaining his release from inning to inning. Holmes is either excellent or struggling without much in between. Worked his way up to 5-inning outings at the end of 2019, but probably best in a bulk role out of the pen where maintaining command for long stretches won't be a factor. Good chance his stuff plays up in shorter stints which gives him a shot at high-leverage work.
OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Spot Starter, Long Reliever or Low Leverage Reliver
Risk: Extreme
