In a Cleveland bullpen that has been one of the better units in the American League all season, Colin Holderman has quietly put together one of the most dominant stretches of pitching on the entire roster. Wednesday night at Comerica Park was just the latest example, and MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins made sure to put the moment and the numbers in proper context.
“Colin Holderman has been a heckuva addition for the Guardians. He enters with two on and one out and strikes out two to send this game to the 10th. He entered today with a 1.56 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP with 19 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings,” Stebbins wrote.
Colin Holderman has been a heckuva addition for the Guardians.
He enters with two on and one out and strikes out two to send this game to the 10th.
He entered today with a 1.56 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP with 19 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings. pic.twitter.com/ByUtcmjQrP
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) May 21, 2026
Those numbers are not middle-relief numbers. A 1.56 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP with 19 strikeouts in 17.1 innings is the kind of performance that puts a pitcher in the conversation for some of the best relievers in the game right now. Holderman entered the ninth inning Wednesday with Cleveland clinging to a 1-1 tie, runners on first and second, one out, and the game hanging in the balance. He struck out two straight batters to send things to extra innings. That is exactly what elite bullpen arms do.
Holderman has now appeared in 13 games, posting a 1.50 ERA across 18 innings with 21 strikeouts and a 0.722 WHIP while going 2-0. He is not getting lucky. He is dominating.
Holderman came to Cleveland after the Pittsburgh Pirates designated him for assignment in November of last year. The Guardians signed him as a free agent on December 11th, optioned him to Triple-A Columbus at the start of the season on March 30th, and recalled him on April 26th.
His career numbers entering this season showed a 3.86 ERA across 174 appearances and 179.1 innings, which was the profile of a solid if unspectacular bullpen piece who bounced between organizations. What he is doing in 2026 goes well beyond that previous baseline.
In a Cleveland bullpen that also features Cade Smith posting AL best save numbers, Erik Sabrowski stabilizing the middle innings and Shawn Armstrong returning from injury, Holderman has carved out a spot among the most trusted arms Vogt has available to him.
He deserves to be talked about a whole lot more than he currently is.
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