Clay Holmes knew going into this offseason that he wanted to be a starter.
That dream became a reality when he signed with the Mets on a three-year deal, and the right-hander immediately went to work — grinding his way throughout the offseason to ensure that he’d be ready by the time camp opened.
He reported to Port St. Lucie early and has been working tirelessly with the coaching and training staff to refine his arsenal and make sure he’ll be stretched out as much as possible when the regular season comes around.
And now, Holmes is being rewarded for all of his hard work — as manager Carlos Mendoza officially named him the starter for the Mets’ Opening Day matchup with the Houston Astros on March 27.
“It’s a special thing,” Holmes said. “I’m honored. It’s been a crazy few months, but it’s a testament to the work I’ve put in and the people I’ve been around here with the organization. There was a plan in place from the get-go; I believed in it and they believed in me.
“There’s been a lot of work put in these last few months and this is just another step. It’s definitely an honor to be out there for the first game — I’m pumped to get to represent the Mets and this organization, and just excited to get the season going.”
Mendoza — someone who Holmes has been around since his days with the Yankees — called the big right-hander into his office along with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner to give him the good news on Thursday.
“He earned it,” the skipper said. “We like what we’re seeing. I know it’s a small sample size, but it’s really encouraging. He put himself in a really good position. Showed up here early in camp. He was ahead of everyone — I know he’s worked really hard. We’re proud of him.”
The results don’t matter much, but Holmes’ first few spring outings certainly have been extremely encouraging, as he is yet to allow a run and has struck out 13 batters in just 9.2 innings of work while showcasing his revamped arsenal.
The 31-year-old is scheduled to take the mound again Saturday — he expects to stretch out to around 70 pitches during that outing and will build from there with hopes of being around 90 pitches and ready for a full slate come Opening Day.
“At the end of the day, we just have to go out there and put our best foot forward and show everyone what we’re about,” Holmes said.
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