MMN ranked right-handed reliever Colin Holderman as the No. 30 prospect in the Mets farm system due to his three-pitch mix which includes a high-90s fastball. His stock appears to be rising with the Spring Training he is having.
As reported by MMO‘s Michael Mayer, Holderman hit 100 MPH in a game against the Houston Astros. He would also hit 99 a few times, and the Astros did not touch his slider. Holderman was throwing his slider in the 86-88 range with an average spin rate of 2655.
In his appearance against the Astros, he struck out two of the four batters he faced not allowing a hit. The batters he struck out where Lewis Brinson, a five-year major league veteran, and Scott Manea, a former Mets prospect.
Colin Holderman has been lights out this spring, to the point where we might see him in the majors sooner than expected.
16 batters faced, 9 strikeouts, sinker consistently sitting 97-99 mph. #Mets pic.twitter.com/mxme6Qb5ld
— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) March 31, 2022
Overall, this spring, Holderman has made four appearances pitching four innings. He has yet to allow an earned run, and he has struck out nine batters. In all four of his appearances, Holderman has struck out at least two.
This comes on the heels of a strong 2021 season he split between St. Lucie and Binghamton. In the 15 combined appearances, he was 0-2 with five saves, a 3.38 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 3.0 BB/9, and a 10.1 K/9.
Seeing Holderman pitch, the Mets are fortunate the Rule 5 Draft was cancelled due to the lockout. The Mets had gambled by exposing him, and seeing him pitch this spring, it’s likely he would have been drafted had the draft been held later.
While Holderman might’ve missed a chance with the cancellation of the draft, if he continues pitching like this he will eventually force his way to the majors. After all, teams can always use relievers who can hit 100 MPH and have a slider which is a true swing and miss pitch.
That includes the Mets, and that can be as soon as the 2022 season.
The post Hard Throwing Colin Holderman Impressing in Big League Camp first appeared on Metsmerized Online.
