The New York Mets were forced to make an important decision regarding one of the players they allowed to participate in the World Baseball Classic. Clay Holmes returned after a brief stint with Team USA, and manager Carlos Mendoza explained the main reason behind the move.
No guarantee of workload with Team USA
The Mets pitcher could have stayed in the tournament, but Team USA officials could not guarantee a sensible pitch workload that would allow him to get fully ramped up for the upcoming 2026 MLB season. Because of that, the New York Mets decided to bring him back to camp.
“We’ve got to get his pitches where they need to be,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It was hard for Team USA to guarantee – especially where they’re at, where every game is pretty much an elimination game – it’s hard… to guarantee the number of pitches that we are asking him to get. Not an easy spot for managers now in the WBC.”
Clay Holmes pitched in just one World Baseball Classic game, throwing three scoreless innings. He relieved Tarik Skubal during the 9-1 victory over Great Britain, tossing a total of 38 pitches, 28 of which were strikes.
For Carlos Mendoza and the New York Mets, Holmes’ pitch count was crucial. If he had remained in Houston as part of the Team USA roster, the coaching staff could not assure him a workload of 60 to 65 pitches, which is necessary for his MLB preparation.
Clay Holmes has a secured spot in the Mets starting rotation, where Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean are projected as the one-two punch heading into the 2026 MLB season. Holmes is expected to play a vital role as the New York Mets look to avoid another disappointment like what happened in 2025.
Read the full article here
