Guardians have unlocked this former NY Mets player the Pirates never fully could

As far as ex-New York Mets go, Pete Alonso’s performance is the one fans have paid attention to most this year because of the recent nature of it. What about some of those more forgotten players? And I don’t mean Pete Crow-Armstrong whose MVP candidacy seems to be growing daily.

Back in 2022, the Mets were trade deadline buyers; what a novel concept! The first of several moves brought them Daniel Vogelbach. The trade was a simple one with the Pittsburgh Pirates. For the left-handed DH, the Mets sent the Pirates promising reliever Colin Holderman.

The 6’6 righty had a 2.04 ERA in 17.2 frames. One could argue the club was better off keeping him in their bullpen than maybe going out and acquiring Mychal Givens. Holderman’s Pittsburgh experience included major ups and even bigger downs, reaching its deepest pit when he had a 7.01 ERA in 2025. Now with the Cleveland Guardians, he looks to have figured everything out.

The Guardians have turned ex-Mets pitcher Colin Holderman into the monster we always feared he could be

The intimidating stature is one thing. How about the numbers? Holderman is 4-2 with a 1.78 ERA in 35.1 innings of work. His 0.849 (0.85 if you want to round) WHIP already tells us he has mastered his control. Just 2.8 BB/9 to go with a 9.9 K/9 rate has helped tap into his abilities.

Holderman hasn’t been invincible with a 50% hard-hit rate against him. However, with a 55.3% ground ball rate, he’s keeping the damage to a minimum. He has allowed one home run all season. It came in his first appearance during the second Guardians game of 2026 on March 27th.

Never a top Mets prospect or anything, he was originally a 9th round selection in 2016. Of the players the Mets actually signed, only Pete Alonso has had a better major league career. George Kirby was a later round pick who didn’t sign with the club.

The Guardians have a knack for finding a way to win even without a superior offense. It seems to start with their ability to get the most out of pitchers. On their staff this year alongside Holerman is Matt Festa, a guy who pitched one inning and allowed 5 runs for the Mets in 2024. While not having a sensational year, his 3.99 ERA has made him a frequent guest from the bullpen.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow