When the New York Mets mapped out their pitching plans for this season, all eyes were on the dynamic duo at the top of the rotation: Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean. Both have flashed their brilliance—McLean especially—but the arm that's stealing the spotlight and rewriting expectations belongs to Clay Holmes.

Holmes suffered a tough 2-1 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks last night, but don't let the score fool you. According to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, the right-hander boasts a microscopic 1.86 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and is holding hitters to a paltry .190 batting average. More impressively, he's allowed two runs or fewer in all eight of his starts this season—a streak that places him in rarefied air, breaking the previous record of seven shared by legends Johan Santana and Nolan Ryan.

What's the secret sauce? Holmes keeps it simple. "When I'm in the zone and don't give free passes, I set myself up for success," he explained. "Between the sinker, changeup, curveball, and sweeper, I should be able to get guys on the ground and really limit the damage." It's a formula that's working beautifully, even if sinkerball pitchers don't always get the headlines they deserve.

Manager Carlos Mendoza is certainly taking notice. "There's a lot to like from him," Mendoza said. "I like his ability to get ground balls, his ability to make pitches when he needs to, his ability to slow the game down, his understanding of the situation, attacking hitters, and getting strike one using the sinker."

Holmes is building on a solid 2024 campaign where he went 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA and 1.30 WHIP across 31 starts. Last night's duel with Arizona's Merrill Kelly was another gritty chapter—after a couple of seeing-eye singles led to a pair of Diamondbacks runs, Holmes locked in and kept the Mets within striking distance. "That inning they had some balls get through and they were able to scratch a couple out there," Holmes said. "I felt like I could hold them there, and I was just trying to get as deep as I can."

In a season full of surprises, Clay Holmes is proving that sometimes the most unexpected ace is the one you already have.