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Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect Luke Holman delivered a standout performance in the Arizona Fall League Finals on Saturday, helping the Peoria Javelinas capture the championship with an 8-3 victory. Holman, the Reds' No. 23 prospect, tossed five scoreless innings, scattering four hits while striking out six and walking three. The right-hander also induced a game-high 16 swings and misses, a promising sign for the young arm on a big stage.
The Reds are in dire need of pitching depth throughout their farm system, and outings like this from Holman offer encouragement. The Javelinas' roster featured prospects from five organizations: the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, and San Diego Padres. It marked Peoria's first Arizona Fall League title since 2018, according to MLB Pipeline.
Offensively, Carter Graham started at first base and went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk. Carlos Sanchez played shortstop and finished 0-for-5 with a run scored. Yerlin Confidan had a strong day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Holman's Rise
Entering Saturday's start, Holman had posted a 0.69 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 13 innings in the fall league, with 20 strikeouts and seven walks. MLB Pipeline noted before the season: "Holman has shown he can throw all of his pitches in and around the strike zone fairly consistently, and there could be some more velocity to come if he can add some strength to his long and lean frame. The first order of business is getting back to health so he can resume trying to develop into a future big league starter." The right-hander missed most of the season recovering from Tommy John surgery but has impressed since returning.
After his dominant Arizona Fall League performance, it would not be surprising to see Holman climb the top prospect lists.