Grant Holmes DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Atlanta Braves pitchers Ian Anderson and Grant Holmes are the favorites to open the season in the rotation. With Spencer Strider (elbow) not expected to be ready for Opening Day, Atlanta will have an additional spot open in the rotation. However, Bowman noted that one of them could shift to a bullpen role once Strider is cleared to return. Holmes made his MLB debut last season and logged 68 1/3 innings to the tune of a 3.56 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. He tallied 70 punchouts and showed strong command with a 5.3 percent walk rate. Anderson has not pitched in the MLB since 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2023. During the 2022 campaign, Anderson held a career-worst 5.00 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor their status during spring training as they could be viable options in deeper NL-only formats.

Atlanta Braves right-handed pitcher Grant Holmes stepped up when it mattered most in Monday's Game 2 3-0 win over the Mets. In a must-win situation, Holmes was slotted into the starting lineup after Chris Sale (back) was scratched due to back spasms. Making just his seventh start of the season, Holmes pitched four innings, allowing one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts. The 28-year-old pitched mostly out of the bullpen this season, going 2-1 with a 3.56 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and a 9.22 K/9 rate in 26 appearances (seven starts) over 68 1/3 IP. It will be interesting to see how he may be utilized in the postseason and what his role could be for 2025. He only notched one hold this season, so he would likely need to be slotted into a higher-leverage role next season to offer fantasy value.

Atlanta Braves rookie right-hander Grant Holmes will make the start in the team's series opener on Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Holmes will be making only his fifth start of the season to help fill the rotation vacancy left by right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder). In his 22 appearances (four starts) in 2024, Holmes has gone 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 54 strikeouts and only 11 walks in his first 54 2/3 innings in the big leagues. Fantasy managers will want to avoid the 28-year-old in his spot start on Tuesday after pitching out of Atlanta's bullpen for the last month. Holmes last started on Aug. 14 in a win against the Colorado Rockies, allowing two earned runs while walking one and striking out six in seven innings of work. He has not gone beyond 1 1/3 innings in September and won't go very deep in Tuesday's contest.