Grant Holmes Bio
Harrison Grant Holmes, known professionally as Grant Holmes, is an American professional baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed starter and reliever, he entered professional baseball as a first-round selection by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2014 MLB draft before eventually reaching the major leagues with Atlanta in 2024. His path through the minors included stops in several organizations, and he has developed into a dependable arm for the Braves’ pitching staff.
Holmes began his big league career in his mid-twenties after years of minor league development, a journey that included a trade, a release, and a successful late-career comeback through the Braves’ system. He is recognized for his strikeout ability and for the resilience he showed in reinventing himself as a pitcher after being let go by Oakland. His MLB debut with Atlanta marked the culmination of a long road back to top-level competition.
Early Life and Background
Harrison Grant Holmes was born on March 22, 1996. He grew up in Conway, South Carolina, where he attended Conway High School and quickly emerged as one of the most highly regarded pitching prospects in the country. His performance on the high school circuit drew national attention, and he was widely considered one of the top prospects eligible for the 2014 MLB draft.
Coming out of high school, Holmes was also a talented student off the field, and he had committed to continue his baseball career at the University of Florida. That college path, however, was set aside when a Major League organization called his name in the first round of the draft, offering him the opportunity to begin his professional career immediately.
Holmes comes from a baseball family, and his brother, Colby Holmes, also pursued the sport at a high level. Colby played college baseball at the University of South Carolina and later spent time in the Atlanta Braves organization, giving the brothers a shared connection to the franchise where Grant eventually made his major league debut.
Path to Baseball
Holmes’ ascent through the amateur ranks was rapid, fueled by a powerful arm and a competitive reputation that scouts followed closely. By the time he finished his prep career at Conway High School, he ranked among the most talked-about arms in his draft class, and several Major League clubs expressed strong interest in selecting him.
His commitment to the University of Florida reflected both his academic priorities and his status as one of the country’s most sought-after recruits. Still, with the chance to turn professional immediately, Holmes chose to sign and began his climb through the minor leagues, where he would spend the better part of a decade refining his craft.
Grant Holmes Career
Early Career (2014–2016)
The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Holmes in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft with the 22nd overall pick. He signed with the team on June 17, 2014, for a $2.5 million signing bonus and was assigned to the Arizona League Dodgers to begin his professional career. In seven appearances at that level, he posted a 1–2 record with a 3.00 ERA before a mid-August promotion to the Ogden Raptors, where he went 1–1 with a 4.91 ERA in four starts.
Holmes opened the 2015 season with the Great Lakes Loons and was named to the mid-season All-Star team after a strong first half. He finished the year with a 6–4 record and a 3.14 ERA across 24 starts, demonstrating the durability and consistency the Dodgers had hoped to see. He was promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes to begin the 2016 season.
Oakland Athletics Era (2016–2022)
On August 1, 2016, the Dodgers traded Holmes, Jharel Cotton, and Frankie Montas to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Rich Hill and Josh Reddick. Oakland assigned him to the Stockton Ports, where he closed out the season. Between Rancho Cucamonga and Stockton, he combined for an 11–7 record and a 4.63 ERA in 26 games, including 23 starts.
In 2017, Holmes spent the full season with the Midland RockHounds, going 11–12 with a 4.49 ERA while striking out 150 batters over 148 and one-third innings. Oakland added him to the 40-man roster on November 20, 2018, to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, signaling that he remained a part of the organization’s long-term plans.
Holmes split the 2019 season between Midland and the Las Vegas Aviators after missing time with shoulder soreness, posting a combined 6–5 record and a 3.23 ERA with 81 strikeouts. He did not appear in a game in 2020 because the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021 he struggled at Triple-A Las Vegas with an 8.01 ERA in 36 appearances. On April 1, 2022, he was outrighted to Las Vegas and removed from the 40-man roster, and Oakland released him on July 28, 2022.
Atlanta Braves Era (2022–Present)
On August 13, 2022, Holmes signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves organization and made three appearances split between the rookie-level Florida Complex League Braves and High-A Rome Braves to close out the year. He spent the 2023 season with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers, appearing in 50 games and registering a 7–3 record and a 3.54 ERA with 74 strikeouts and 13 saves across 61 innings. After electing free agency on November 6, he re-signed with Atlanta on a new minor league deal on November 22, 2023.
In 2024, Holmes pitched in 18 games for Triple-A Gwinnett, logging a 2.63 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 4 saves. On June 16, 2024, he was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the majors for the first time, making his MLB debut that day against the Tampa Bay Rays with three scoreless innings of relief and two strikeouts. His first career start came on July 29 against the Milwaukee Brewers, when he allowed one run in five innings with eight strikeouts in a no-decision. He finished 2024 with a 2–1 record, a 3.56 ERA, and 70 strikeouts in seven starts.
The 2025 campaign represented Holmes’ first full season in the Braves’ rotation. On June 15, 2025, he set a personal best with fifteen strikeouts in a single game, one of the most impressive individual outings of his career. In 22 appearances, including 21 starts, he compiled a 4–9 record and a 3.99 ERA with 123 strikeouts over 115 innings of work. On July 27, he was placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation and later that same day was transferred to the 60-day injured list, ending his season. He was subsequently diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and indicated he would attempt to rehabilitate the injury without surgery.
Driving Style and Strengths
Holmes relies on a power-pitching approach, generating swings and misses with a fastball that plays well in the upper portion of the strike zone. His ability to miss bats, reflected in the strikeout totals he posted at every minor league stop and in the majors, has been the defining feature of his career. He has shown the versatility to pitch effectively both as a starter and out of the bullpen, giving his coaching staffs flexibility in how they deploy him.
Notable Events and Milestones
Holmes’ MLB debut on June 16, 2024, against Tampa Bay, during which he fired three scoreless innings in relief, stands as the signature moment of his professional journey. His career-high fifteen strikeouts on June 15, 2025, underscored the upside he brings to the Braves, while his first major league start on July 29, 2024, against Milwaukee marked his transition into a starting role at the game’s highest level.
Grant Holmes Career Wins
Holmes’ career victories span the minor leagues and Major League Baseball, with notable winning seasons at multiple levels of professional baseball. His MLB win total began in 2024 with Atlanta and continued into 2025 before an elbow injury ended his season.
Major League Highlights
Holmes earned his first MLB win during the 2024 season with the Braves, finishing that year 2–1 with a 3.56 ERA and 70 strikeouts across seven starts. He added further victories in 2025, when he went 4–9 with a 3.99 ERA and 123 strikeouts over 115 innings in 22 appearances before being shut down with an elbow injury.
Other Wins and Performances
Holmes posted an 11–7 combined record in 2016 between Rancho Cucamonga and Stockton, an 11–12 mark with Midland in 2017, and a 7–3 record with Gwinnett in 2023. His development as both a starter and a reliever has given the Braves a versatile arm capable of filling multiple roles on the mound.
Grant Holmes Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Grant Holmes comes from a baseball family. His brother, Colby Holmes, played college baseball at the University of South Carolina and later spent time in the Atlanta Braves organization, mirroring the franchise where Grant eventually made his own major league debut.
Personal Life
Holmes married his wife, Sami, in February 2020. The couple has been a steady presence throughout his professional career, including during his lengthy minor league tenure and his eventual breakthrough to the major leagues with Atlanta.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was Grant Holmes’ first full year as a member of the Atlanta Braves’ pitching staff and represented a major step forward in his major league career. He opened the year in the rotation and quickly showed the strikeout profile that had defined his minor league work, reaching double-digit punchouts on multiple occasions.
His season highlight came on June 15, 2025, when he set a personal best with fifteen strikeouts in a single game, one of the most dominant individual outings by a Braves pitcher that year. Through 22 appearances, including 21 starts, he compiled a 4–9 record and a 3.99 ERA with 123 strikeouts across 115 innings, establishing himself as a reliable middle-of-the-rotation arm before his campaign was interrupted.
Holmes’ season ended on July 27, 2025, when he was placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation and later transferred to the 60-day injured list on the same day. He was subsequently diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and announced plans to attempt rehabilitation without surgery. The injury cut short a breakout year but left Holmes positioned to return to the Braves once he completes his recovery.