Saying that Colorado Rockies closer Greg Holland had a tough second half wouldn't exactly be fair, mostly because his struggles began much earlier and were masked by a stellar first two months.
If we look at Holland's month-by-month production, it's pretty easy to see that the 9.1 innings he pitched in August torpedoed his numbers quite a bit. Some of his other peripherals -- including strikeout rate, walk rate, soft-hit rate allowed, and hard-hit rate allowed -- weren't the same once the calendar flipped to June, though.
| 2017 | IP | ERA | K% | BB% | Soft% | Hard% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | 12.0 | 1.50 | 28.3% | 10.9% | 14.3% | 32.1% |
| May | 7.2 | 1.17 | 57.7% | 3.9% | 30.0% | 30.0% |
| June | 10.2 | 1.69 | 26.7% | 17.8% | 16.0% | 36.0% |
| July | 8.0 | 2.25 | 31.3% | 12.5% | 5.6% | 44.4% |
| August | 9.1 | 13.50 | 16.3% | 12.2% | 14.7% | 35.3% |
| September | 9.2 | 1.86 | 32.4% | 5.4% | 26.1% | 26.1% |
It's important to note that he did turn things around in September -- which will help him in free agency this winter -- but this remains a troubling progression. This indeed was his first year after missing 2016 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, so the overall numbers, which include a 3.61 ERA and 3.53 SIERA to go along with a 29.8% strikeout rate and 1.1 fWAR, aren't bad by any means.
However, his struggles against right-handed hitters is also something to keep in mind. While his .306 wOBA allowed wasn't a career-worst number, his 4.45 FIP in this situation was. From 2010-15, Holland allowed just 9 home runs in 655 total right-handers faced, but he allowed 5 in just 108 faced last season alone. That number is backed up by a 51.4% fly-ball rate and 38.4% hard-hit rate, which are both easily new personal worsts.
Holland will likely land a lucrative multi-year deal after declining his $15-million option with Colorado, but some late-season struggles after a fantastic start make him someone worth keeping an eye on.