Matt Holliday has started off spring strong for the New York Yankees but don’t jump to conclusions about how he’ll perform in the Bronx.

The New York Yankees have looked fabulous to start spring training and some have performances have stood out above the rest. 

While the young are showcasing their talent this spring, newly-pinstriped veteran Matt Holliday is showing off his skills. While it’s still early in the spring, Holliday has shown the Yankees that he’s still able to place the ball.

If the kids can do it, so can Matt Holliday. But despite his solid at-bats so far this spring, fans should wait until the regular season to make a judgment on Holliday.

The right-handed slugger only has six at-bats this preseason but has earned three hits for a .500 average. His plate presence is commanding and it still looks like Holliday brought his groove over from St. Louis.

The veteran’s .571 on-base percentage ranks right up there with Clint Frazier, who is putting on one spectacular show in spring training. He is showing to the Yankees that their decision to scoop him up might ultimately be a low-risk, high reward signing.

But we must not think too far ahead. Holliday is naturally a strong player in the spring. He impresses most during the month of March. His regular season performance is still up in the air.



During Holliday’s 13-year career, he has racked up an impressive .332 BA and crushed 175 hits and 23 home runs. Spring is a short season in regards to baseball so keeping up a steady stat line over 13 seasons is extremely difficult.

So this spring training from Holliday shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. However, it also isn’t a proper representation of what Holliday can be during the regular season.

Last season, Holliday posted a .246 BA and a .322 OBP, both career lows. While he battled some injuries in 2016, his performance still wasn’t as impressive as it has been in the past.

The lifetime .303 hitter in the National League has fallen off the map the past few seasons, but hopefully he can get back on board as a primary designated hitter.

Some seasons, a good spring training has led to a solid overall season for Holliday. Other times, he starts out strong only to fade away in the regular season. There’s just no telling what Holliday will show up for the Yankees this season. 

Spring training gives the Yankees time to warm up and that is no exception for Holliday. However, he seems to be at mid-season form already. If only it were actually the season.

While Holliday has gotten off to a hot start, the past few seasons have shown that he might struggle. There’s no way Yankees fans should be expecting amazing things simply based on his spring training numbers. That isn’t fair.

We’ve liked what we’ve seen from Holliday so far. But fans need to lower expectations when it comes to the season. He has yet to show us that he can excel under the bright lights of the Bronx and that test will come in April.

It’s great to enjoy Holliday as he has been in spring training but we can’t jump to conclusions right now. Or else, we might be disappointed come September.


Allison is just a girl with an enormous passion for the game of baseball and the written word. Based in Upstate New York, her life-long relationship with the New York Yankees is something that she developed through close relationships with her mother and grandfather. An aspiring sports writer, she graduated with a journalism degree and is finding places to share her excitement about the sporting world and how it affects us all.