Former Dodgers Top 5-Prospect Finally Earns MLB Call-Up With NL Powerhouse

Former Los Angeles Dodgers top prospect Grant Holmes has finally made his MLB debut a decade in the making. The 28-year-old right-hander was a former Dodgers first-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft.

Holmes spent two years in the Dodgers’ minor league system, once making the midseason All-Star team. He was ranked highly in their minor league system, as the No. 4 prospect on the team in 2016, per MLB.com. In 2016, he was traded alongside Jharel Cotton and Frankie Montas to the Oakland Athletics in 2016 in exchange for Rich Hill and Josh Reddick.

Holmes was then with the Oakland Athletics for six years, but he did miss time due to the cancellation of the 2020 season with the COVID-19 pandemic along with shoulder soreness. He was released in July 2022.

After his time with the Athletics, Holmes signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves in Aug. 2022. He was promoted to the team’s Triple-A affiliate in 2023, where he went 7-3 with a 3.54 ERA with 74 strikeouts. He began the 2024 season on the Triple-A team as well, pitching in 18 games and posting a 2.63 ERA and 51 strikeouts before finally getting called up on June 16.

Holmes made his debut the same day, pitching three relief innings and giving up two hits and zero earned runs while striking out two batters. The Braves lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 8-6, but Holmes did his part during his time on the mound.

Holmes had a long road to making the MLB, especially as a former first-round pick and top-five prospect, but he finally made it.

Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

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