Jonathan Holder Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Jonathan Blake Holder
Born 06/09/1993 in Gulfport, MS
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 232 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Mississippi State
Debut 09/02/2016
Drafted in the 6th round (182nd overall) by the New York Yankees in 2014 (signed for $170,000).

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Holder emerged as one of the most dependable relievers in college baseball the past three years while helping the Bulldogs reach the College World Series final in 2013. He saved 21 games in 2013, tying a Southeastern Conference single-season record. He has an 89-92 mph fastball that touches 93 and plays up with armside run. He is mostly a two-pitch pitcher, with a curveball that offers a large velocity separation off his fastball at 70-73 mph. He fills up the strike zone, with 2.1 walks per nine in his career with a 6.1 strikeout-walk ratio. His delivery has some effort and he is unlikely to win a bodybuilding contest at a husky 6-foot-2, 242 pounds, but his track record and control could be coveted in the top six rounds by a performance-driven team.

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Holder was teammates at Mississippi State with lefthander Jacob Lindgren, whom the Yankees selected with their first choice in 2014 but has since been designated for assignment and signed by the Braves. Holder was a closer in college but was used early in his professional career as a starter. He moved back to the bullpen in 2016 and had one of the more dominant seasons in the minors, including a game in which he struck out 12 in four innings, including 11 straight. Overall, Holder went 5-1, 1.65 with 101 strikeouts against just seven walks in 65.1 minor league innings. After initially not being on the Yankees' list for September callups, the team reversed course and he made his debut Sept. 2. Unlike most relievers, Holder uses a four-pitch arsenal that includes a fastball that tops out at 94 mph and a cutter in the high-80s with sharp bite. He supplements his fastballs with a mid-70s curveball he uses to get swings and misses and a seldom-thrown changeup in the mid-80s. His repertoire has given the Yankees thoughts of returning him to the rotation, but he could battle for a spot in the big league bullpen.

Holder emerged as one of the most dependable relievers in college baseball the past three years while helping the Bulldogs reach the College World Series final in 2013. He saved 21 games in 2013, tying a Southeastern Conference single-season record. He has an 89-92 mph fastball that touches 93 and plays up with armside run. He is mostly a two-pitch pitcher, with a curveball that offers a large velocity separation off his fastball at 70-73 mph. He fills up the strike zone, with 2.1 walks per nine in his career with a 6.1 strikeout-walk ratio. His delivery has some effort and he is unlikely to win a bodybuilding contest at a husky 6-foot-2, 242 pounds, but his track record and control could be coveted in the top six rounds by a performance-driven team.