Humor, Hustle Big Part Of Holmes’ Week

CARY, N.C.—Whenever a pitcher on Team United threw a strike at USA Baseball’s Tournament of Stars, there were two strike calls. One from the umpire, and the other from center field.

2017 outfielder Quentin Holmes adds flair to each strike call in his games, giving his own emphatic signal after he sees the umpire call a pitch a strike. It’s a tradition Holmes started during his sophomore year at Monsignor McClancy High in East Elmhurst, N.Y.

“The team I play on, I have one of the best pitchers in our league,” Holmes said. “With him on the mound, he’s so dominant, that’s I’m doing anything in the outfield. If anything, I’m running to tell the left or right fielder where to cut the ball—they never hit the ball to center field. So I’ve got to keep myself occupied a little bit.”

A Mississippi State commit, Holmes does that in a humorous way for himself, his teammates and the spectators. His strike three call isn’t as dramatic as Leslie Nielsen’s famous strike three from the Naked Gun, but Holmes has added some pizzazz to it.

“My strikeout call has changed up a little bit,” Holmes said. “I used to just pull it for a called strike three. But now I throw it up, catch it, and pull it.”

Having fun is an important part of Holmes’ game, but don’t mistake his humor for aloofness. Holmes is an extremely prepared center fielder, and displayed a quick first step when tracking down a deep drive in right center last Thursday.

“Most of the time, I look to see where the catcher sets up, and I’ll take a little step towards that side,” Holmes said. “When I saw the batter swing, I said, ‘OK, he’s hitting it kind of far.’ I knew the batter—he plays on my summer team—so I knew he had a little bit of pop, and I was ready to go.

“My first step, I was already running back, and I threw my right hand up and was pushing. And then the ball kept carrying, and carrying a lot, so I had to turn it up a notch. At the last second, I took a little jump and grabbed it. The right fielder helped me out a lot by telling me to keep going back.”

Holmes has some elite speed, saying he runs the 100-meter dash in 11.02 seconds and running a 6.15 60 at the Perfect Game National Showcase in Fort Myers, Fla., last weekend. On two consecutive at-bats, his home-to-first time was clocked at 4.02 seconds and 4.04 seconds.

But when told of the 4.02 time, Holmes said, “I’m not happy with that.”

“There’s been times when I’ve ran it 3.7 down there,” Holmes said. “If I can do that every time, it’s going to be hard to get me out.”

His speed was evident last Wednesday, when one of Holmes’ three hits in four at bats was a triple to the left-center gap. When his coach held him at third, Holmes looked back and saw the catcher just catching the ball. He wishes the coach had sent him.

“I can hit the ball out of the ballpark, but I’m not focused on doing that,” Holmes said. “I’m focused on getting on base and showing that I can run around the bases well. I just really want to showcase what I have as best as I can.”

At least one crosschecker was intrigued by Holmes.

“Holmes is one to watch. Not a lot of guys with that kind of speed and instincts in center—he has a chance to be a great defender. I think there’s power on the way. You might need to develop an approach but he’s off to a good start.”

It was a good start; following the conclusion of the Tournament of Stars, Holmes was selected for the 18-and-under national team trials. His tools give him a chance to make the final 20-player roster, and he has established himself as a prominent prospect for the 2017 draft.