Brian Holiday Named MiLB Pitcher of the Week
The Cardinal Chronicle
Brian Holiday Named Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Week
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Brian Holiday did not leave much room for debate.
Holiday, pitching for Low-A Palm Beach, is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Week after putting together one of the most dominant strikeout performances in the Cardinals’ system.
The right-hander worked 5.2 scoreless innings, allowed only two hits, walked none and struck out 12. He did not allow a home run, finished with a 0.00 ERA, a 0.35 WHIP and posted the top overall pitching value of the week at 22.3.
That is how a pitcher separates himself.
There were other strong candidates. Blake Aita delivered a quality start for Double-A Springfield, working 6.1 innings with one earned run, no walks and six strikeouts. Liam Doyle also pushed his way into the discussion with 4.1 innings, eight strikeouts and only one earned run allowed at Double-A.
But Holiday’s line had the loudest combination of dominance and command.
Twelve strikeouts in fewer than six innings will grab attention by itself. Doing it with zero walks is what made the outing special. Holiday did not simply miss bats. He controlled the strike zone, avoided free traffic and kept Palm Beach in command from the mound.
That matters at any level.
Low-A pitching lines can sometimes be weighed differently than upper-level performances, and that is fair. Aita and Doyle both deserve credit for doing their work at Double-A. But Holiday’s margin of dominance was too strong to overlook. Two hits. No walks. No runs. Twelve strikeouts. That is a weekly award-winning performance.
For a developing arm, the cleanest sign is not always velocity or raw stuff. Sometimes it is the ability to attack hitters, finish counts and keep the game from getting messy. Holiday did all of that.
The strikeout total was the headline. The walk column was the separator.
When a pitcher can miss that many bats without handing out free passes, it shows more than a hot outing. It shows execution. It shows confidence. It shows a pitcher working with purpose.
Holiday earned this honor because he delivered the most complete dominant outing of the week.
The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Pitcher of the Week:
Brian Holiday, Low-A Palm Beach
Weekly Line:
5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA, 0.35 WHIP
Why He Was Chosen:
Holiday struck out 12 batters over 5.2 scoreless innings without issuing a walk. His combination of swing-and-miss dominance, clean command and run prevention gave him the edge for Pitcher of the Week.
Also in the Mix:
Blake Aita, Double-A Springfield — Aita made a strong case after working 6.1 innings with one earned run, five hits, no walks and six strikeouts. His 1.42 ERA and 0.79 WHIP made this a real conversation.
Liam Doyle, Double-A Springfield — Doyle also had a strong strikeout showing, allowing one earned run over 4.1 innings while striking out eight. The two walks and shorter outing kept him just behind Holiday and Aita this week.
Old School Take:
Twelve strikeouts and no walks will play in any league. You can debate level, workload and prospect standing, but when a pitcher puts up that kind of line, he has earned the spotlight.
Brian Holiday did not just pitch well. He controlled the game, missed bats and kept the bases clean to earn MiLB Pitcher of the Week Honors.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Brian Holiday, Springfield Cardinals | MLB