What Are Holds In Baseball?

Wondering what a hold is in baseball? Here’s a quick rundown of this important stat!

Introduction

In baseball, a hold (abbreviated Hld or HD) is credited to a relief pitcher who enters the game in a save situation, records at least one out, and leaves the game still in a save situation. A hold is like an assist: It does not count as an earned run and does not affect a pitcher’s won–lost record or ERA, but it gives the team’s manager flexibility in using his bullpen.

The concept of holds was created by Bill James in 1985 as a way to measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers. However, James’ original definition of a hold was slightly different from the current definition; he credited a hold to any relief pitcher who entered the game with his team leading by three runs or fewer and left the game without his team relinquishing the lead. In other words, a reliever could earn a hold even if he did not finish the game. The current definition was adopted by Major League Baseball in 1988.

While most statistical categories are Official Baseball Statistics (OBS), holds are classified as “secondary statistics” because they are derived from OBS; they are not recorded as part of the official box score. Holds are tracked by baseball analysts and became more widely known when baseball writer Rany Jazayerli introduced save percentage plus holds (S%+H) as an alternative to save percentage (S%) in 2001.

What are Holds in Baseball?

In baseball, a hold is a statistic that credits a relief pitcher who preserves a lead while he is on the mound. A pitcher gets a hold when he enters the game in a save situation, records at least one out, and leaves the game without giving up the lead. If he enters the game with the tying run on base, he gets a hold if he doesn’t allow that runner to score.

What is a Hold?

In baseball, a hold (denoted by the capital letter H) is awarded to a relief pitcher who meets the following four conditions:
1. Enters the game in a save situation;
2. Records at least one out;
3. Leaves the game never having relinquished the lead; and
4. His team wins the game.

What is a Save?

In baseball, a save (abbreviated SV or S) is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. Most commonly a pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in which his team is winning by three or fewer runs, and finishing the game by pitching one inning without losing the lead. The number of saves or percentage of save opportunities conversion takes an important place among relief pitcher statistics; it is one of the main criteria used to judge relievers, particularly those who enter late in games, whether they are closers or setup men.

How are Holds and Saves Recorded?

In baseball, a hold is a statistical credit a relief pitcher earns for entering a game in a save situation, Recording a hold is simple: whenever a reliever enters a game with a lead of no more than three runs and keeps his team in the lead until he is relieved or until the end of the game, he is credited with a hold.

How are Holds Tracked?

Records for holds have only been kept since 1980, so there is not a lengthy history to look back on. The stat is calculated by assigning a hold to any relief pitcher who enters the game while his team is ahead, provided he maintains the lead while he is on the mound. If the player comes in with the score tied or his team behind, and leaves without giving up the lead, he gets credit for a hold. In order for a player to be eligible for a hold, he must pitch at least one full inning or face three batters, whichever comes first.

How are Saves Tracked?

In baseball, a relief pitcher is credited with a save when he finishes a game for the winning team while preserving a lead of no more than three runs. A pitcher gets a save by entering the game in a close situation (usually with runners on base and less than two outs) and finishing the game without allowing the tying run to score. He does not have to be the pitcher of record to receive a save; all he has to do is come in and get important outs when his team needs him most.

What is the Difference Between a Hold and a Save?

In baseball, a hold is a statistic that is awarded to a relief pitcher who meets specific criteria. A pitcher earns a hold when he enters the game in a save situation, records at least one out, and leaves the game still in a save situation. A hold is different from a save in that the pitcher who earns the hold does not have to be the pitcher who finishes the game.

What is a Hold?

In baseball, a hold is a statistical credit awarded to a relief pitcher who enters the game in a save situation, records at least one out, and leaves the game with his team still leading by no more than three runs. A pitcher can also earn a hold by pitching at least three innings in relief and not allowing the opposing team to score the go-ahead run.

What is a Save?

In baseball, a save (abbreviated SV or S) is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for his team while preserving the lead. The statistic was created by journalist Jerome Holtzman in 1959 to “measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers” and was adopted as an official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic in 1969.

The save has been retroactively measured as far back as 1901. MLA style guides recommend against using the term “save” when referring to data prior to 1961, since the statistic was not calculated with its current criteria until that season.

A pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in which his team is winning by three or fewer runs, and finishing the game by pitching one inning without giving up the lead. A pitcher can also earn a save by entering the game with his team already ahead by four or more runs, and pitching one inning without allowing the opposing team to score any runs.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve answered the question, “What are holds in baseball?”, let’s take a look at how they can impact a game. In general, holds are not as important as save opportunities, but they can still have a big impact on the score. If a team is trying to come from behind, they may need to score multiple runs in the late innings to win. This means that every out is now even more important. If the relief pitcher can come in and get a key out (or two), it could be the difference between winning and losing.

Similarly, if a team is trying to preserve a lead, they will want to make sure that they don’t give up any runs in the late innings. This again puts a premium on outs. If the relief pitcher can come in and get key outs, it will go a long way towards preserving the lead and ultimately winning the game.

So, while holds may not be as glamorous as save opportunities, they can still have a big impact on the outcome of a game. Next time you’re watching a close game in the late innings, pay attention to who is pitching and see if you can spot any potential hold situations unfolding.