New York Yankees fans can't comprehend manager Aaron Boone's confidence in relief pitcher Clay Holmes: "He's struggling and costing us games"

New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes has struggled out of the gate this year. He's appeared in seven games this season, tallying a 5.40 ERA in 6.2 innings pitched.

He's coming off a game on Friday where he gave up a go-ahead two-run home run to Carlos Correa in the eighth inning. The Minnesota Twins would close out the ninth inning and win the game 4-3. Despite this, manager Aaron Boone isn't discouraged.

Boone isn't jumping ship because Holmes has struggled this season. Holmes was an All-Star last season, appearing in 62 games and recording 20 saves. Boone has all the confidence in the world in his reliever.

While Boone remains confident in Clay Holmes, some New York Yankees fans don't feel the same way. They're ready to jump ship and hand the ball to somebody more reliable to close out games.

Fans aren't that confident with Holmes on the mound right now. He's struggling, especially with his command. He's either walking a batter or grooving a pitch down the middle.

Fans are ready to see Boone move on from Holmes, at least in a high-leverage situation. They'd feel more at ease seeing him coming in first in relief rather than when the game is on the line in the eighth or ninth innings.

New York Yankees need Clay Holmes at the top of his game

The New York Yankees don't have the luxury to slightly play matchups in the bullpen as other teams in the league do. They don't have a left-handed pitcher in their bullpen. This puts a more significant emphasis on all of their bullpen pitchers, including Clay Holmes, being on top of their game.

With the way the Tampa Bay Rays have started the season, the Yankees can't afford to drop games because of their bullpen. It's not just the Rays, either. The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles have also started the season positively.

The American League East will be an exciting division to watch this season. It could be a four-team race coming down to the season's final games.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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