Brock Holt
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Brock Wyatt Holt (born June 11, 1988), nicknamed "The Brock Star", is an American former professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
utility player In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, basketball, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water ...
. He played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) for the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
,
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
,
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
,
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
, and Texas Rangers. Holt made his MLB debut for the Pirates in 2012 and was traded to the Red Sox during the 2012–13 offseason. While primarily used as an
infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...
, he played at every position except for catcher throughout his career. Listed at and , Holt batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Holt was selected to represent the Red Sox in the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. Holt
hit for the cycle Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust or HIT, a fictional organization ...
two times in his career, and is the only player in MLB history to do so in a postseason game.


Amateur career

Holt graduated in 2006 from Stephenville High School in Texas. In 2003, his freshman year, he made the District 8-4A All-District baseball team despite batting just .227, and shared the league's Newcomer of the Year award. Holt was a second-team All-District 8-4A inclusion his sophomore year, batting .324 for the season. In 2005, Holt was named defensive player of the year in District 6-4A, and he earned all-district honors in 2006, his senior year. Holt attended Navarro College in 2007 and 2008. After transferring to
Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...
in 2009, he posted a .348
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
with 12
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s and 43
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
(RBIs) in 59 games for the
Rice Owls The Rice Owls are the sports teams representing Houston's Rice University in college sports. The name comes from the owls in Rice's crest. Rice participates in NCAA Division I athletics. A member of the American Athletic Conference, Rice sponsors ...
. He also led the Owls with 67 runs scored and shared the team lead with 11
stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...
s. In the same season, he was named both to the All-NCAA Regional Team and the All-Silver Glove Trophy Series team. Holt was inducted to the Navarro College athletic hall of fame in 2021.


Professional career


Minor leagues

The
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
selected Holt in the ninth round of the
2009 Major League Baseball Draft The 2009 Major League Baseball draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The drafting order is as follows: First-round selections Key Supplemental first-round selections From Baseball Americ ...
, one pick before his Rice teammate Ryan Berry. Holt began his professional career with the Pittsburgh Pirates' short season, Class-A affiliate, the State College Spikes, before advancing to the High-A Bradenton Marauders in 2010. His 2010 season was cut short due to injury to his
medial collateral ligament The medial collateral ligament (MCL), also called the superficial medial collateral ligament (sMCL) or tibial collateral ligament (TCL), is one of the major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial (inner) side of the knee joint and occurs in ...
, which required surgery. He began the 2011 season with the Pirates' Double-A affiliate, the
Altoona Curve The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of ...
. On July 13, 2011, Holt was named the
MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...
of the Eastern League All-Star Game after hitting a two-run homer in the ninth inning. Holt opened 2012 with Altoona and later joined Triple-A
Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...
. He was promoted to the Pittsburgh Pirates from the minors as the major league rosters expanded on September 1.


Pittsburgh Pirates (2012)

Holt made his Major League debut on September 1, 2012. At the time of his promotion, he had hit a .322 average in 102 games with Altoona and .432 in 24 games for Indianapolis. On September 4, against the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
, Holt became only the second Pirates player since 1900 to have a four-hit game within his first four career games in the majors. The only other Pirates player to have a four-hit game so early in his career was Jack Merson, who went 4-for-5 in his second major league game on September 15, 1951. In 24 games, Holt batted .292 with a triple and 3 RBI.


Boston Red Sox (2013–2019)


2013

On December 26, 2012, Holt was traded to the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
(along with Joel Hanrahan) for Jerry Sands, Stolmy Pimentel, Mark Melancon, and Iván DeJesús, Jr. Holt started the 2013 season with the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. He debuted for Boston after getting called up on July 6 in Anaheim. In 2013, Holt played in 26 games, hitting .203 with 11 RBI. The Red Sox finished the year 97–65, clinching the AL East division. Holt was not active in the playoffs, but the Red Sox went on to win the 2013 World Series.


2014

Holt again started 2014 in Triple-A. He was called up to Boston on May 17, after an injury to Will Middlebrooks, and hit leadoff for the rest of the season. On May 31, against the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
at Fenway Park, Holt hit his first Major League home run. On June 1, while starting at first base for the first time in his career, he went 4-for-4 with four doubles, a
walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...
, and two RBIs against the Tampa Bay Rays. On June 8, in order to allow Xander Bogaerts to play third base, Holt moved to left field. He immediately impressed, making a sensational catch on the warning track to rob Ian Kinsler of a hit. On July 9, against the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
, Holt drove in Daniel Nava in the bottom of the ninth inning for the first walk-off hit of his career. By the end of the season, Holt had started games at every position except pitcher and catcher.


2015

In 2015, Holt made the opening day roster for the first time in his career. On June 16, Holt
hit for the cycle Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust or HIT, a fictional organization ...
against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. He doubled, singled, and hit a home run off of
Julio Teherán Julio Alberto Teherán Pinto (born January 27, 1991) is a Colombian professional baseball pitcher for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angel ...
, and completed it with a triple in the 8th inning off of Sugar Ray Marimón. In doing so, he became the first Red Sox player to accomplish the feat in 19 years, since John Valentin in 1996. In July, Holt was chosen to represent the Red Sox in the
MLB All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...
by
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
manager Ned Yost. Holt was the first player selected to an All-Star Game after starting at seven or more positions before the break. In the game, Holt entered as a pinch runner, replacing
Mike Trout Michael Nelson Trout (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Trout is an 11-time Major League Baseball All-Star Game, All-Star, three-time American League (A ...
; Holt successfully stole second base, and later scored. He stayed in the game playing left field and had one at bat, striking out. For the 2015 regular season, Holt appeared in 129 games, batting .280 with two home runs and 45 RBIs. Defensively, he played 58 games at second base, 35 games in the outfield, 33 games at third base, 11 games at shortstop, 8 games at first base, and one game as
designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...
.


2016

Following the announcement that Wade Boggs' number 26 was to be retired, Holt switched his jersey number to number 12 in 2016. On May 15, Holt was ejected for the first time in his career by home plate umpire and crew chief Joe West for arguing balls and strikes. On May 19, Holt suffered a concussion and was placed on the disabled list. On August 24, Holt returned to the Red Sox, covering third base. For the 2016 regular season, Holt appeared in 94 games and finished with a .255 batting average, 7 home runs, and 34 RBIs. In the
2016 American League Division Series The 2016 American League Division Series (ALDS) were two Playoff format#Best-of-five playoff, best-of-five game series in Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 2016 MLB Postseason, 2016 postseason to determine the participating teams in the 2016 Ameri ...
between the Red Sox and Indians, Holt was named the starting third baseman over Travis Shaw. He batted .400 with a home run and an RBI as Cleveland swept Boston in three games.


2017

Holt again spent time on the disabled list in 2017, due to a concussion and the effects of
vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...
. After playing on April 20, Holt was out of the Red Sox lineup until July 16. During the 2017 regular season, Holt appeared in 64 games, batting .200 with no home runs and seven RBIs. In the 2017 American League Division Series against the Houston Astros, Holt played only in Game 2, pinch running and then staying in the game as second baseman; he did not have a
plate appearance In baseball, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner. This ha ...
.


2018

On September 11, Holt hit a pinch-hit, three-run go-ahead home run off of Ryan Tepera of the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
in the seventh inning, giving Boston a lead they would hold onto for a 7–2 win, making them the first team of the year to clinch a postseason berth. Holt finished the campaign with seven home runs and 46 RBIs in 109 games while hitting .277 and playing all infield plus the corner outfield positions during the season. On October 8, Holt became the first player in MLB history to hit for the cycle in the postseason, doing so in a 16–1 rout in Game 3 of the 2018 American League Division Series against the New York Yankees. The Red Sox went on to win the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
over the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, giving Holt his second career championship title.


2019

Holt started the 2019 season batting 1-for-16 (.063) in six games. On April 6, Holt was placed on the injured list due to a scratched
cornea The cornea is the transparency (optics), transparent front part of the eyeball which covers the Iris (anatomy), iris, pupil, and Anterior chamber of eyeball, anterior chamber. Along with the anterior chamber and Lens (anatomy), lens, the cornea ...
in his right eye. He had rehabilitation assignments with Triple-A Pawtucket starting on April 16 and 26. On April 30, Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that Holt's rehabilitation had been stopped indefinitely, due to a right shoulder impingement. Holt was sent on a new rehabilitation assignment with Pawtucket on May 15, and then with the Double-A
Portland Sea Dogs The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red ...
on May 24. He returned to Boston's active roster on May 27. On July 25, Holt was ejected for the second time in his career by home plate umpire D. J. Reyburn for arguing balls and strikes against the New York Yankees. For the season, Holt appeared in 87 games, batting .297 with three home runs and 31 RBIs. He became a free agent on October 31.


Milwaukee Brewers

On February 19, 2020, Holt signed a one-year contract with the
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
that included a club option for 2021. He was designated for assignment on August 22, 2020, after hitting .100/.222/.100 with 9 strikeouts over 39 plate appearances.


Washington Nationals

Holt signed with the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
on August 29, 2020. He played in 20 games for the Nationals, hitting .262/.314/.354 in 65 at bats.


Texas Rangers

On February 12, 2021, Holt signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers organization, his hometown team, that included an invitation to spring training. On March 30, 2021, Holt was selected to the 40-man roster. He used a few Eephus pitches during a relief appearance on August 7, 2021, one registering the slowest MLB pitch since at least 2008 (the pitch-tracking era) at . In 76 games in 2021, Holt hit .209/.281/.298/.579 with 2 home runs and 23 RBI.


Atlanta Braves

On March 20, 2022, Holt signed a minor-league contract with the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
. On March 31, he requested and was granted his release. On October 27, 2022, Holt announced his retirement through an
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post.


Honors and awards

*2010 FSL Mid-Season All-Star *2011 EAS Mid-Season All-Star *2011 EAS All-Star Game Top Star *2012 EAS Mid-Season All-Star *2012 MiLB.com Organization All-Star *2012 EAS Post-Season All-Star * 2013 World Series champion * 2015 MLB All-Star * 2018 World Series champion *3-time
Roberto Clemente Award The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) baseball positions, player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community#Psychology, community involvement and the individual's contribution to ...
nominee (2015, 2016, 2018)


Personal life

Holt married Lakyn Pennington on November 9, 2013. The couple have two sons, born in December 2016 and September 2020. Holt worked with
The Jimmy Fund The Jimmy Fund, established in Boston in 1948, is made up of community-based fundraising events and other programs that benefit Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Since 1948, millions of people have given money to the ...
, serving five consecutive seasons as Jimmy Fund captain for the Red Sox, to assist with fund raising and cancer awareness. On August 14, 2024, he was announced as the new co-chair of The Jimmy Fund, serving alongside
NESN New England Sports Network, popularly known as NESN , is an American regional sports cable and satellite television network owned by a joint venture of Fenway Sports Group (which owns a controlling 80% interest, and is the owner of the Boston ...
personality Tom Caron.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle In baseball, completing hitting for the cycle, the cycle is the accomplishment of hit (baseball), hitting a single (baseball), single, a double (baseball), double, a triple (baseball), triple, and a home run in the same game. In terms of freque ...


References


External links


Rice Owls bio
: {{DEFAULTSORT:Holt, Brock 1988 births Living people Pittsburgh Pirates players Boston Red Sox players Milwaukee Brewers players Washington Nationals players 21st-century American sportsmen Texas Rangers players Indianapolis Indians players Pawtucket Red Sox players Frisco RoughRiders players Altoona Curve players Bradenton Marauders players State College Spikes players Mesa Solar Sox players Rice Owls baseball players Navarro Bulldogs baseball players Baseball players from Fort Worth, Texas Major League Baseball utility players American League All-Stars Sportspeople from Stephenville, Texas Baseball players from Erath County, Texas