Colin Holderman has been exactly the pitcher the Cleveland Guardians envisioned he'd be when they signed him to a contract over the offseason.
The Cleveland Guardians knew they needed bullpen help when the offseason started last October. Instead of going after one of the top arms on the free agent market or trading for a proven reliever, the front office took a risk on pitcher Colin Holderman.
That gamble is paying off as Holderman is turning into one of Cleveland’s top bullpen arms and continues to earn more trust from Stephen Vogt and the rest of the coaching staff.
In 13 appearances so far this season, Holderman owns a 1.50 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP. It’s not just the simple stats that show how key Holderman has been to Cleveland’s bullpen so far this year.
Cleveland needed another punchout-minded pitcher, and he’s also filled that role void. Holderman currently owns a strikeout rate of 30.9 percent (94th percentile) and a whiff rate of 29.8 percent (80th percentile).
The impressive piece to these numbers is that two of the three earned runs he allowed came during the first two games of the regular season, and Holderman was optioned down to Triple-A after that.
When Holderman was added back onto the big-league roster, Vogt admitted that his role was more of a multi-innings reliever, but the right-hander is quickly finding himself in more high-leverage situations.
May 20, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Colin Holderman (35) delivers during the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images“It means the world to me [to be trusted in high-leverage opportunities]. Especially, coming after coming off a year, like last year, you know, just getting right, building confidence day by day, and it's, you know, got me to a good spot. Now we're just keeping it simple. You know, every day's the same routine. And, uh, just showing up and it's working."
This version of Holderman is clearly the one the Guardians envisioned when they signed him in the winter. However, as the pitcher alluded to, there was never a guarantee that Holderman would find this form.
He had a 7.01 ERA in 24 games last season, but the right-hander believes being healthy is a key reason for the bounce-back season so far.
“First off, I'm healthy,” explained Holderman
“I had a little wrist issue last year, and it kind of snowballed into some other things. And mentally, just a lot more confident. Going out there 85% is pretty tough in the big leagues, and that kind of weighed on me pretty bad [last year], and I wasn't able to perform like I should."
If Holderman continues to trend in this direction, he’ll find himself in more high-leverage opportunities for the Guardians, and there’s no one more excited about that than him.
“Getting a good offseason, you know, signed into a great org, you know, having a great time here just got the confidence rowing, and now I'm healthy with good stuff, and it's a good combination.”
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