Jonathan Holder
Unlike some of his teammates, Holder isn’t known for being a dominant relief pitcher. Yet, it doesn’t mean he can’t stultify opposing hitters with some pitches in his repertoire.
While Holder barely pitched more than 100 innings during his first three MLB seasons, he showed he could be a staple in New York’s pen moving forward. He seems poised for a larger role in the pen though, at least as a middle reliever.
Surprisingly, one of the 25-year-old’s best pitch is one he developed just prior to last season – his slider. And like many of his fellow relievers on the Yankees, he’s shown stints of dominance because of it. But two of his other pitches are equally as effective.
Holder’s overall numbers improved dramatically as he gained more confidence in his fastball, slider, and changeup. He held hitters to a sub-.220 average and sub-.600 OPS with each pitch. He allowed just four home runs in more than 66 innings in 2018.
His swinging strike percentage for two of the three pitches mentioned are better than 10 percent. His fastball was once above the threshold, but it dipped a bit last season despite gaining velocity.
Arguably, his slider reigns supreme over his other pitches due to a higher swinging-strike rate and a lower batting average against. That could continue in 2019, or it could change since his other pitches are also efficient.
If Holder continues to pitch this well, he could be just another reliable mainstay in the Yankees’ bullpen. Yet, the small sample size must keep expectations realistic.
Holder has loads of potential, and few fans talk about him because he doesn’t rack up an immense amount of strikeouts compared to other New York relievers.
But he can become a sneaky, dependable guy throughout the upcoming season. And he would be yet another Yankees pitcher with a trusty slider.
Tommy Kahnle
Kahnle was relatively unknown until he 2017, when he pieced together an impressive run in Chicago prior to being dealt to New York. But last season was one the reliever hopes to forget.
He nearly allowed a run per inning pitched, sporting a 6.56 ERA overall with a bloated 1.63 WHIP. It wasn’t the first time fans saw him struggle in his career, but Yankees fans didn’t anticipate it when he arrived.
Nevertheless, Kahnle is presumably a new player this year, shedding weight in order to perform better in 2019. Thus far, it seems to be working.
But no matter how Kahnle prepares physically, he can still use his changeup to mystify hitters. And even though hitters fared well against the 29-year-old last season, they couldn’t hit his changeup.
Opponents boasted a paltry .105 average and .301 OPS against the off-speed pitch. In comparison, they raked off his fastball, owning a 1.176 OPS.
It’s curious to see how successful a pitcher does with one pitch, yet still throws the less-effective pitch more often. Of course, that is how it’s been for Kahnle since 2016.
Nonetheless, the New York reliever has an opportunity to re-join the bullpen this season and make a better impression. And it starts with his changeup.
Hitters own a .196/.243/.313 triple-slash against it in Kahnle’s career. And like Betances, Kahnle can use that pitch more than his heater, since it is more effective. Although, he could make his changeup even more valuable if hitters respect the fastball more.