Derek Holland

3.1. Draft and Minor Leagues

The Texas Rangers selected Holland in the 25th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft, as the 748th overall pick, out of Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama. He signed with the Rangers one year later, on May 20, 2007, for a signing bonus of 200.00 K USD. By 2009, Baseball America rated him as the number two prospect in the Rangers organization, trailing only Neftalí Feliz.

3.2. Texas Rangers (2009-2016)

Holland spent the majority of his early career with the Texas Rangers, making his Major League Baseball debut in 2009 and remaining with the club through the 2016 season.

3.2.1. 2009 Season

Holland made his MLB debut on April 22, 2009, against the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched 2 and 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and striking out two, without giving up any runs or walks. On August 9, he recorded his first career complete game, a 7-0 shutout against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Despite his debut and shutout, Holland's rookie year was marked by inconsistent pitching. He finished the 2009 season with a record of 8-13 and a high ERA of 6.12 across 33 games, 21 of which were starts. Following the 2009 season, Holland traveled to Japan with a Rangers assistant general manager to meet with Japanese pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.

3.2.2. 2010 Season

In 2010, Holland spent much of the season in Triple-A with the Oklahoma City RedHawks, limiting his major league appearances compared to his rookie year. However, his performance improved, and he finished the regular season with a 3-4 record and a 4.08 ERA. In the postseason, Holland transitioned to a relief role, appearing in six games. In Game 4 of the 2010 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees, he entered the game in the fourth inning with one out and the bases loaded. He successfully escaped the jam and pitched 3 and 2/3 scoreless innings, helping the Rangers secure a comeback victory. In Game 2 of the 2010 World Series against the San Francisco Giants, Holland entered in the eighth inning with the Rangers trailing. He struggled, walking all three batters he faced without recording an out, which led to all three inherited runners scoring and contributed to a significant inning for the Giants. The Rangers ultimately lost the game 9-0 and the series 4-1.

3.2.3. 2011 Season

Holland began the 2011 season as a starter for the Rangers. Despite an ERA of 4.96 in April and May, he secured wins in four of his five starts during that period. He further improved his performance in June, lowering his ERA to 4.14, partly due to his first shutout of the season. After an inconsistent start to July, where he failed to complete the first inning against the Miami Marlins, Holland responded by throwing three more shutouts in his subsequent five starts.
He concluded the 2011 season with a career-best record of 16-5 and an ERA of 3.95. He led the American League in shutouts with four, which was tied for the fifth-highest in Rangers history. His .762 win-loss percentage was the fifth-best in Rangers history, and he ranked fourth in wins in the AL. On October 23, Holland earned the win in Game 4 of the 2011 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching 8 and 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and two walks while striking out seven. Despite his strong performance, the Rangers eventually lost the World Series in seven games.

3.2.4. 2012 Season

On March 20, 2012, Holland signed a five-year contract extension with the Rangers, worth 28.50 M USD, with a club option for an additional two years, potentially extending the total value to 49.00 M USD over seven years. Entering the season, Holland was expected to step into a more prominent role following the departure of C.J. Wilson. He finished the 2012 regular season with a 12-7 record and an ERA of 4.67. He gave up 32 home runs, which was the fifth-highest total in Major League Baseball that year.

3.2.6. 2014 Season

On January 7, 2014, Holland sustained a knee injury after falling while playing with his dog at home. He underwent arthroscopic microfracture surgery on January 10 to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. He was subsequently placed on the 60-day disabled list on March 3, which sidelined him until the All-Star break. Despite the injury, Holland made six appearances, including five starts, later in the season, and pitched well, recording a 2-0 record with a 1.46 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP.

3.3. Chicago White Sox (2017)

On December 14, 2016, Holland signed a one-year, 6.00 M USD contract with the Chicago White Sox. He started the season strong, posting a 2.37 ERA through his first 10 starts. However, his performance significantly declined thereafter. On September 5, 2017, he was granted an unconditional release by the White Sox, having compiled a 7-14 record with a 6.20 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP over 26 starts and 3 relief appearances for the team.

3.4. San Francisco Giants (2018-2019)

On February 9, 2018, Holland signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants, which included an invitation to spring training. Due to injuries to key starters like Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija, Holland was added to the major league rotation at the beginning of the season. Throughout 2018, he served in both starting and relief roles, concluding the season with a 7-9 record and a 3.57 ERA. This performance marked his first time reaching 162 innings pitched since 2013.

On January 14, 2019, the Giants re-signed Holland to a one-year deal with a club option for 2020. The contract was worth 6.50 M USD in base salary, with a 500.00 K USD buyout for the 2020 option. He earned his first win of the season on April 9 against the San Diego Padres. On April 29, Holland was placed on the 10-day injured list with a bone bruise in his left index finger. Upon his return, he struggled in a start against the Colorado Rockies, giving up seven earned runs in 2 and 2/3 innings. In a post-game interview on May 11, Holland publicly stated that he had "faked an injury" and criticized the Giants' front office operations. Both manager Bruce Bochy and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi responded to his comments, expressing their disappointment that he had not approached them directly, and emphasizing their team's open-door policy for player concerns. Following this incident and his struggles, Holland was primarily relegated to long-relief appearances from the bullpen. On July 21, 2019, he was designated for assignment by the Giants.

3.5. Chicago Cubs (2019)

On July 26, 2019, Holland was traded by the Giants to the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations. On August 25, 2019, he was placed on the 10-day injured list and sent down to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, with David Bote taking his spot on the roster. Holland became a free agent after the 2019 season.

3.6. Pittsburgh Pirates (2020)

On January 31, 2020, Holland signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, which included an invitation to spring training. He was added to the 40-man roster on July 23. On August 8, 2020, in a game against the Detroit Tigers, Holland had a particularly difficult outing, allowing five runs on four home runs within his first 11 pitches of the first inning. He ultimately gave up a total of nine runs on five home runs over five innings as the Pirates lost 11-5. He became a free agent on October 28 following the 2020 season.

3.7. Detroit Tigers (2021)

On February 1, 2021, Holland signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers, which included an invitation to spring training. His contract stipulated a salary of 925.00 K USD if he was promoted to the major league roster, with potential incentives up to 150.00 K USD. On March 26, Tigers manager A. J. Hinch announced that Holland had earned a spot on the team's Opening Day roster as a reliever, and the team would make room for him on the 40-man roster. Holland was officially selected to the 40-man roster on April 1. He made 39 appearances for the 2021 Tigers, with 38 of them in relief, posting a 3-2 record with a 5.07 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 49 and 2/3 innings pitched. He became a free agent on November 3.

3.8. Boston Red Sox (2022)

On March 18, 2022, Holland signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox. Although he was reassigned to the minor leagues on April 2, he initially chose not to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract. However, Holland later opted out of his deal with the Red Sox on May 1, 2022.

3.9. Toronto Blue Jays (2022)

Just three days after opting out of his deal with Boston, Holland signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on May 4, 2022. He pitched in 20 games (6 starts) for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he recorded a 5.53 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched. The Blue Jays organization released him on July 22.

3.10. York Revolution (2023)

On May 24, 2023, Holland signed with the York Revolution of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league. He made five appearances out of the bullpen for York, achieving a 2.25 ERA with five strikeouts and one save in 4.0 innings of work. However, his season was cut short on June 6 when he announced that he would require Tommy John surgery. He underwent the procedure on June 19. Holland became a free agent following the season.

6.1. Social Media Controversy

During a game in the 2012 season, Holland's Twitter account was used to direct a derogatory slur at another Twitter user. In response to the ensuing controversy, Holland claimed that his Twitter account had been hacked.

6.2. Racially Insensitive Skit Controversy

In 2018, Holland appeared in a skit on MLB Network's Intentional Talk where he mimicked Asian people by feigning a racially insensitive accent. While Holland disagreed with the characterization that his actions were racist, he acknowledged and expressed understanding of why people found them upsetting. Both the San Francisco Giants organization and Holland subsequently issued apologies for his actions.

6.3. Conflict with Giants Front Office

In 2019, Holland publicly accused the San Francisco Giants' front office of making him fake an injury to be placed on the injured list. This claim led to a dispute, with the Giants denying his allegations. The incident further fueled public discussion about the relationship between players and team management.

7.1. 60 Feet 6 Foundation

In 2014, Holland launched the "60 Feet 6 Foundation." The organization's mission is to raise awareness and fund research for leukemia, with a specific focus on its pediatric forms. Through the foundation, he actively raises funds to provide support to families battling the disease.

8.1. Pitching Statistics

• Bold indicates league leader

8.2. Fielding Statistics

Derek Holland's fielding statistics as a pitcher are as follows:

8.3. Uniform Numbers

Derek Holland wore the following uniform numbers during his professional playing career:

• 45 (2009-2020)
• 49 (2021)

8.4. International Career

Derek Holland represented the United States in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He was officially selected to the team roster on February 27, 2013.