The Atlanta Braves’ pitching staff is not short on talent, but this past week saw an unexpected hero rise from the bullpen shadows. Grant Holmes, a name that once flickered across minor league scorecards, has now lit up the big-league stage with a performance too commanding to ignore. Named Battery Power’s Braves Player of the Week, Holmes delivered not just stats, but a statement—he’s here to compete.
Holmes, who made his long-awaited major league debut just weeks ago, dominated opponents with the kind of poise usually reserved for veterans. Over the past seven days, he hurled 7.2 scoreless innings across three appearances, striking out 10 while issuing just a single walk. His fastball touched 97 mph with alarming consistency, but it was his devastating slider—clocking in at 86—that baffled hitters and had analysts digging through footage like treasure hunters.
His defining moment came Wednesday night at Truist Park. With the Braves clinging to a one-run lead against the Phillies, Holmes was summoned in the seventh with runners on second and third and one out. The pressure was nuclear. Yet Holmes, unmoved, struck out Kyle Schwarber on three pitches, then induced a weak grounder from Trea Turner to end the threat. Fans erupted. His glove slap against his thigh echoed like a cannon in the dugout tunnel.
What makes Holmes’ rise even more compelling is the path he took to get here. Once a first-round pick by the Dodgers in 2014, his career stalled due to injuries and inconsistency. After bouncing around systems, he signed a minor league deal with Atlanta, seemingly another journeyman hoping for a miracle. But this spring, he showed something different—sharper mechanics, a calmer mound presence, and a look in his eyes that whispered redemption.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Holmes said in a post-game interview, his voice steady, his jersey soaked with the night’s work. “But I never stopped grinding. This team believed in me, and I’m just doing my job.”
Inside the clubhouse, teammates have taken notice. Veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud praised Holmes’ control and pitch mix. “He’s got filthy stuff,” d’Arnaud said. “But what I love is how fearless he is out there. Doesn’t matter who’s up. He attacks.”
Holmes’ emergence provides the Braves with a powerful new weapon—an unflinching arm capable of bridging the innings between starters and closer Raisel Iglesias. And in a season already stacked with high expectations, his arrival might be the unexpected edge that pushes Atlanta deeper into October.
Grant Holmes didn’t just earn Player of the Week—he carved his name into the narrative of this season. If this week was any sign, he’s not just filling a roster spot. He’s hunting for a legacy.
