Clay Holmes got called up to the majors before he could make his last start for Indianapolis. It was the second time that the Pittsburgh Pirates called him up this season when they needed someone who could throw multiple innings if necessary. He has yet to see much time during his three weeks total in the majors, but he absolutely dominated at Indianapolis during the month of June. Those four excellent starts were enough to name him the Pirates Prospects Pitcher of the Month for June.
Holmes finished the month of May with a start in which he allowed six earned runs on nine hits and three walks in six innings. For the entire month, he had a 6.00 ERA in six starts, with a 1.80 WHIP. So his performance in June was a complete 180, as opposed to someone carrying over strong stats from one month to the next.
June started off with his best outing of the season. Holmes went seven shutout innings on six hits, with no walks and eight strikeouts. It was a new season high for strikeouts and the first time since April 20th, when he went just four innings, that he didn’t walk a batter. That start was followed six days later by one run over six innings, with seven strikeouts. Five days later, he went five innings and the only run he gave up was unearned. Finally, on June 19th, Holmes went seven innings, allowing one run on five hits, while again putting up no walks and eight strikeouts.
Holmes finished the month with an 0.71 ERA in 25.1 innings, with four walks, 28 strikeouts, a .229 BAA, a 1.03 WHIP and an extremely impressive 3.60 GO/AO ratio. On the season in Triple-A, he has a 3.39 ERA in 66.1 innings, with 71 strikeouts and a 2.03 GO/AO ratio.
Holmes has always been an extreme ground ball pitcher. He allowed just four homers in 112.2 innings last year. He’s been even better so far this season, giving up one home run, which was hit by the International League leader in home runs, Christian Stewart.
What’s more impressive is the low walk total for the month. Holmes throws hard with movement, which has been tough for him to control throughout his career. Going back over his career, he has never had a month like this June. His lowest walk total in a full month was seven before this past month. He’s combining a strong strikeout rate, with a low walk rate and getting his usual high amount of ground ball outs. If he can maintain those trends going forward, he could be in for some extra mound time with the Pirates during the second half of the season.
PITCHERS OF THE MONTH BY LEVEL
Indianapolis – Clay Holmes, RHP (0.71 ERA, 28:4 K/BB, 25.1 IP)
Altoona – Mitch Keller, RHP (0.69 ERA, 21:10 K/BB, 26.0 IP)
Bradenton – Oddy Nunez, LHP (3.33 ERA, 17:16 K/BB, 27.0 IP)
West Virginia – Cody Bolton, RHP (1.27 ERA, 17:3 K/BB, 21.1 IP)
