Time for Yankees to replace closer Aroldis Chapman with Clay Holmes?

By Jordan ShustermanFOX Sports MLB WriterIt’s late May, and the New York Yankees have the best record in baseball thanks to Aaron Judge, who looks like the AL MVP, and to Clay Holmes, who has been one of the best relievers in baseball.Wait, who?Just as we were all starting to get used to Nestor Cortes Jr. being a Cy Young candidate out of nowhere, the Yankees have managed to pull yet another dynamite arm out of relative obscurity to help them maintain a firm grip on first place in the AL East. Such a skill has always been valued by MLB teams — he just needed to maximize it to find a consistent role in the big leagues.Even in his first two difficult seasons in Pittsburgh in 2018 and 2019, in which he posted a 5.58 ERA, Holmes’ 62.7% ground-ball rate ranked among the league’s best. While the ERA (4.93) may not have been pretty, the ground-ball rate (72.8%) in Holmes’ 42 innings with Pittsburgh before the trade was leading all MLB relievers. It was clear that the Yankees had found something in Holmes, but it’s unlikely even his most ardent supporters could have seen the start he has had in 2022 coming.Tied for the MLB lead in appearances with 20, Holmes has posted a 0.42 ERA in 21.1 IPs, allowing just 13 hits and striking out 21 batters while walking just two.These mind-blowing stats to start the season can be credited in large part to Holmes’ continued ability to produce soft contact.