Lincoln Holdzkom

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #30 prospect in 2008
  The Phillies hit paydirt when they were the second team to make Shane Victorino a major league Rule 5 draft pick, and they're hoping for similar good fortune with Holdzkom. Philadelphia plucked Holdzkom from the Red Sox at the Winter Meetings in December. A year earlier, the Astros had taken him from the Cubs, who had acquired him in a deal that sent Todd Wellemeyer to the Marlins. Holdzkom didn't last long in Houston's big league camp. He walked three batters in two innings and the final straw came when he wondered out loud if he could collect his major league salary if he quit, prompting his release. His spring experience was Holdzkom in a nutshell--he always struggled with his command and created headaches wherever he has gone. At the same time, he has a seductive arm that never fails to attract another suitor. At his best, he can sit at 93-94 mph with a fastball that has vicious cut at times and heavy sink at others. He'll also flash a wipeout slider. He has regained his stuff after missing the entire 2004 season because of Tommy John surgery. Batters struggle to lift the ball against him and he didn't surrender his first homer in pro ball until 2007, his sixth season. Holdzkom still needs to throw a lot more strikes and prove he can maintain his stuff for more than an inning at a time. Taking his considerable talent more seriously would be a first step. The Phillies were sold on Holdzkom when they scouted him in the Arizona Fall League, and they'll give him every chance to make their bullpen. If he fails, he has to be put on waivers and be offered back to Boston for half his $50,000 draft price.
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  Ranked Houston Astros #21 prospect in 2007
  Holdzkom's father Christopher was a well-known pianist in the late 1960s, and he started his son on the piano at age 2. Lincoln played the piano on "The Tonight Show"with Johnny Carson when he was 6 and later contributed a song to the "Forrest Gump"soundtrack. He shares baseball in common with his brother John, a 6-foot-7 righthander who signed with the Mets as a fourth-round pick last June. Holdzkom had a chance to go early in the 2001 draft, but after he was kicked off the team at Arizona Western he lasted until the Marlins took him in the seventh round. He blew out his elbow in 2004, when he missed the entire year following Tommy John surgery. Florida brought him back slowly in 2005, then sent him to the Cubs in a deal for Todd Wellemeyer at the end of spring training last March. Holdzkom came down with shoulder problems that cost him two months last summer, so Chicago thought it could leave him unprotected for the major league Rule 5 draft. But after he touched 95 mph with his fastball in the Arizona Fall League, the Astros pounced. Holdzkom usually works at 91-93 with his fastball and backs it up with a hard slurve. He has yet to allow a home run in 206 pro innings. After six years in pro ball, he's still a project. He has to prove he can stay healthy, throw consistent strikes and maintain his stuff for more than an inning at a time. Makeup questions also have dogged him in the past. But if Holdzkom can harness his electric arm, he can help Houston's bullpen. The Astros have to keep him on their major league roster throughout 2007. If not, they have to pass him through waivers and offer him back to the Cubs for half his $50,000 draft price.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #34 prospect in 2006
  When he returned last July from reconstructive elbow surgery, Holdzkom pitched at 90-92 mph and topped out at 94 mph at high Class A Jupiter. This was a couple of ticks below the 97 mph he reached pre-surgery, but he showed signs of a successful recovery. He worked multiple innings, pitched back-to-back twice and the ball came out of his hand with ease. His slurvy breaking ball was inconsistent, but his fastball showed both cut and run at times, making him an uncomfortable matchup for hitters. Holdzkom is physically imposing and has a glowering mound presence. He projects as a top-quality set-up man and figures to return to high Class A for 2006. Drafted in the seventh round in 2001, Holdzkom signed for $105,000 after getting kicked off the baseball team at Arizona Western Junior College. He believes he would have gone much higher if not for clashing with his college coach. While his nipple rings and seven tattoos sometimes give people the wrong impression, Holdzkom is devoted to his craft. His brother John was a 15th-round pick of the Mariners last June but went to Salt Lake Community College, though he could still sign as a draft-and-follow.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #29 prospect in 2005
  Just when Holdzkom's career was on a roll, elbow problems put him on the sidelines. He couldn't perform the way he hoped in his first big-league spring camp and wound up having Tommy John surgery in June 2004. He is expected back by midseason and probably won't challenge for a big league spot until 2006. But the notion of his 97 mph fastball adding a few ticks is tantalizing. Some believe the setback was a blessing in disguise for Holdzkom, as it taught him a better work ethic. Drafted in the seventh round in 2001, he signed for $105,000 after getting kicked off the baseball team at Arizona Western. He believes he would have gone much higher that year if not for the problems with his college coach, John Stratton. Holdzkom is physically imposing and has a glowering mound presence. He complements his big fastball with a hard-breaking curve. He projects as a premium set-up man but might not have the makeup to close. While his nipple rings and tattoos sometimes give people the wrong impression, Holdzkom insists he is devoted to his craft.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #11 prospect in 2004
  Kicked off his junior college team for insubordination, Holdzkom spent his first 2 1⁄2 pro seasons showing flashes of obstinacy. The turning point came in June, when he and Greensboro manager Steve Phillips had a heated shouting match. Phillips challenged Holdzkom to live up to his vast talent, which he soon began doing. A body builder in high school, Holdzkom is physically imposing and can intimidate batters with his hulking appearance. He pitches in the mid-90s and touchs 97 with his fastball, which he complements with a hard-breaking curve. While Holdzkom appears to have closer stuff, some wonder whether he has the makeup to be anything more than a set-up man. Command has been a problem when he's been asked to close out wins as opposed to pitching the seventh or eighth innings. He can be slow to the plate and needs to improve his pickoff move. A late sub for fellow hardhead Randall Messenger in the Arizona Fall League, Holdzkom was added to the 40-man roster in November and could begin 2004 in Double-A with a good spring.