The Braves haven’t been very busy this offseason. The only worthwhile acquisition Atlanta has been involved in was the Jurickson Profar signing.
Granted, the roster was never in dire need of an overhaul, but the Braves did lose A.J. Minter, Max Fried, and Charlie Morton this offseason. They have to be replaced, even if it is in the aggregate.
One possible reason the Braves haven’t been aggressive in bolstering the rotation is their belief in Grant Holmes, who was one of 12 breakout candidates Jim Bowden of The Athletic highlighted. The MLB pundit noted that Holmes’ emergence gives the Braves confidence in their rotation.
“One of the reasons the Braves haven’t been more aggressive this offseason in adding pitching depth is the confidence they have in Holmes, who they think can have a breakout season. He was drafted in the first round by the Dodgers in 2014 and spent 10 years in the minors before debuting with Atlanta last June. Now, it looks like everything is starting to click for him.”
This is somewhat surprising for a couple of reasons. Bowden inquired about who each club thought was their own breakout candidate. Secondly, Michael Harris II also made the list, which included only 12 players. The NL Rookie of the Year from a couple of years ago mentioned in the same piece as Holmes breaking out is an attention grabber. But this checks out with what the Braves have been saying this offseason.
“Anthopoulos said the potential of exceeding the luxury threshold for a third straight year won’t be viewed as a hinderance for the Braves. They’re hoping Daysbel Hernandez proves to be a high-leverage guy next year and Grant Holmes might be used as a starter in 2025,” MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes on Twitter/X.
It’s the real life Kenny Powers, hair and all. Holmes spent 10 years in the minors before making his major league debut. He recorded a 3.56 ERA, 3.20 FIP, and 9.2 K/9 over 68.1 innings while pitching in a slew of different roles for the club last year.
The Braves are hopeful he can establish himself as a starter, but he can absolutely revert back to the bullpen as a multi-inning threat for Brian Snitker. Last year, he ranked in the 97th percentile in chase percentage, the 92nd percentile in whiff rate and the 90th percentile in walk rate. A breakout is very possible for Grant Holmes.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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