C-Mac sounds off on 'ridiculous' Clay Holmes narrative

After a rare frustrating loss for the Yankees on Thursday afternoon, C-Mac had to sound off on the response from many Yankee fans, and squash some “ridiculous” narratives that arose from the defeat.

The main narrative being that Clay Holmes can’t be the closer on a championship team because he doesn’t get enough strikeouts.

So, in response to that narrative, C-Mac turned to the Baseball Reference page of the greatest closer in baseball history.

“If we’re gonna be fair, let’s compare that to our deity, the greatest of all time, Mariano Rivera…who was so much more than just strikeouts,” C-Mac said. “‘In the postseason, you have to miss bats.’ In the postseason, he struck out seven per nine, as great as he was. You don’t have to miss bats. You just have to be good, and Clay Holmes has been good.”

Holmes is striking out 8.7 batters per nine innings this season after 10.1 in 2023. Rivera averaged 8.2 K/9 in his legendary career, and just 5.3 in 1998, the most dominant season in Yankee history. So, C-Mac doesn’t think Holmes’ strikeout numbers are anything to be concerned about.

“You don’t have to strike everyone out. You don’t have to get the swing and miss all the time,” C-Mac said. “That’s all I’m saying. The greatest closer of all time didn’t do it as much as Clay Holmes.”