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Clay Holmes is excited about the Mets pitching staff this year.
The New York Mets starting rotation was their weak point in 2025, but Clay Holmes expects that to change this year.
Holmes spoke highly of the Mets rotation and especially new staff ace Freddy Peralta ahead of pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in Port St. Lucie, Florida this week.
The Mets, of course, went 83-79 last year and ranked 27th in the majors in innings pitched (796.0) and was 29th in walks per nine innings (3.66). That lack of length from starters led to their overtaxed bullpen, which pitched the third-most innings (636) and took the fifth-most losses (36) of any reliever group.
Clay Holmes: ‘The Talent is There’ for the Mets’ Starting Rotation
Mets fans are hoping the starters’ problems won’t bleed into 2026, and Holmes believes in the five-plus starters who will toe the rubber this year.
“I think in the rotation, the talent’s three,” Holmes told SNY. “I don’t think we pitched to what we’re capable of last year.”
Aside from Peralta, the Mets also will have ace-caliber incumbent starter Nolan McLean. McLean took the NL by storm, going 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 48 innings over eight starts and slots as New York’s No. 1A/2 starter.
Yet, it was Holmes, in both his first year as a starting pitcher and with the Mets, who led the club in wins (12) and was second to All-Star David Peterson in innings pitched (165 2/3).
Peralta and McLean properly slot Peterson and Holmes in the Nos. 3 and 4 spots. But Kodai Senga and Jonah Tong are nipping at their heels for spots, which means the Mets starting staff should be in a much better place this year.
“The starting rotation is like the engine of teams,” Holmes said. “We know we need to be better, and it just makes everything go well.
“It’s exciting to get to work with these guys and see what we can do.”
Freddy Peralta, Justin Willard ‘Have a Great Energy About Them’
Aside from Peralta, the Mets also have a new pitching coach, Justin Willard, the former Boston Red Sox director of pitching who replaces longtime coach Jeremy Hefner.
Willard was hired in November, and according to Holmes, he is giving off good vibes.
“They have a great energy about them,” Holmes said of Peralta and Willard. “Obviously with some new pitching coaches, [I’m] just getting to know them and see what they say. A fresh perspective on things is always good. I’ve just been taking those things in and kind of running with them.”
Holmes was a member of the New York Yankees — pitching in the AL playoffs — when the Mets squared off against Peralta and the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2024 NL Wild Card Series. But he, of course, has seen the ex-Brewers ace become one of the NL’s best pitchers, since Peralta is coming off a 17-6, 2.70 ERA season where he struck out 200+ for the third straight year.
Still, the Holmes has seen a different facet pop.
“Freddie’s obviously a special pitcher,” Holmes said. [I’ve] heard his reputation as who he is as a person [and] as a teammate and the energy he brings to the field. It’s gonna be a lot of fun to pitch aside from him and to get to learn from him.”
Pat Pickens is an experienced sports writer and media personality who has written for outlets like NHL.com, the Associated Press, the New York Times and USA Today. He covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA as a breaking news contributor at Heavy. More about Pat Pickens
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