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Sunday, July.21/2013

Greg Holland has picked up in the 2nd half exactly where he left off in the 1st half, with back to back Saves versus the AL Central leading Tigers to start the Post ALL – Star portion of their 2013 campaign. Holland, The 27 Year Old from Marion. NC, is 2 – 1, with a 1.70 ERA and 24 Saves in 35 IP – and a phenomenal 61 Strikeouts.  He made his 1st ALL – Star game in New York City last week, and has provided a dominant Closer for the Royals.

By Michael McGraw ( Royals Correspondent) Follow @quickdraw29

It seems like a distant memory now, but controversy existed in the backend of the Royals bullpen during the first week of the 2013 season.  

Greg Holland, the incumbent at the closer position, had a shaky first couple of appearances and some were anxious to have set-up man Kelvin Herrera take over the reins.  

Herrera, the hard-throwing 23-year old, led the American League in 2012 in average speed per-pitch, according to PitchFX, at 97.4 MPH.  

Herrera complicated the situation by gathering two early saves, striking out all four outs he recorded in those saves.

Greg Holland Highlights – Mature Lyrics – So Parental Guidance Is Advised:

Holland took over Closer duties during the 2012 season – once Jonathan Broxton was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He was 7 – 4, with a 2.96 ERA – with 16 Saves. The key factor here is to see that his 2012 season featured a WHIP of 1.37 – whereas he is operating at 0.892 WHIP clip heading into play on Sunday, July.21/2013.

Holland meanwhile had an abysmal outing on April 6, blowing a save while giving up three earned runs, allowing three walks, and one hit in two-thirds of an inning.

Since that point, however, the two players trajectory has been polarizing, with Holland having outstanding performances and Herrera struggling mightily, resulting in a May 23 demotion to the minors.

Holland inherited the closer role in 2012 following the Royals’ trade of Jonathan Broxton to the Cincinnati Reds.  Holland finished last season with a 7-4 record, 2.96 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 12.2 K/9 innings, and converted 16 of 20 saves.

This followed a solid 2011 season in which Holland went 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 11.1 K/9 innings.

This promise, however, took an early hit in the 2013 season, leading to the thoughts of supplanting Holland in the closer role with Herrera.  While Herrera subsequently started to struggle, Holland has been dominant.  

Since that April 6 blown save, Holland has converted 21 out of 22 save opportunities in 34 appearances, posting a 0.78 WHIP and 1.08 ERA.  

After giving up four earned runs in April, Holland surrendered just one earned run in May, two in June, and zero in July through the All-Star break.  

Holland leads all relievers in baseball with a strikeout rate of 15.43 strikeouts per 9 innings, and perhaps nothing indicates Holland’s dominance more than the frequency with which he strikes out the side.

In 36 appearances in 2013, Holland has struck out the side nine times, or one-fourth of the time he has stepped foot on the mound.  

There are many good stories in 2013 around baseball with closers: Mariano Rivera, the all-time saves leader, and his retirement following the season;

Aroldis Chapman continuing to impress with his 100+ MPH fastballs; Jason Grilli having a tremendous season following a long journey through the minor leagues and overcoming a serious knee injury.  

But while all of these stories are impressive, Greg Holland is quietly having a dominant season in his first full year as the Royals closer that should elevate him to be considered among the game’s elite closers.

The Royals fans are extremely worried that the promising season of 2013 is quickly tumbling down before them. At 45 – 49, plus 6 Games Behind the Tigers, they could do a world of good to complete a sweep versus the Tigers – and shave the lead down to 5 Games. Starting Monday, they have a 4 game Series at home versus the Baltimore Orioles, before hitting the road against the White Sox, Twins and Mets. Once they return home, they play the Twins yet again for a 3 game series – as part of a 9 game homestand that will also see Boston and Miami come into Missouri. This is a make it or break it stretch for KC. Can they win 13 or 14 games in the next 19?

*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com or their partners.***

A big thank-you goes out to our ”Royals Correspondent’ Michael McGraw. Michael was born and resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated from Duquesne University with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Media Communication, and Sociology. 

After working in management for a communications company, he is now attending the Duquesne University School of Law. 

A dedicated Pirates fan, Michael also became a Royals fan due to his family ties in the Kansas City area and frequent trips to the City of Fountains. 

Although Fred McGriff is his favorite player, Michael grew up following George Brett and Bo Jackson and maintains hopes for his dream World Series matchup of the Pirates – Royals. Follow @quickdraw29

Please e-mail me  at: mlbreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback.    To subscribe to our website and have the Daily Reports sent directly to your inbox, click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

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