Mets fan cockiness about Opening Day Clay Holmes pays off perfectly for Yankees fans

All spring long, there were plenty of *whispers* coming from Mets camp about their newly minted ace Clay Holmes. Formerly the Yankees' closer and league-leader in blown saves, Holmes can be brilliant at his best and in the wrong batter's box at his worst. The worst showed up far too often last year.

New York (NL) signed Holmes and immediately announced their plan to convert him to a starter, though, adding intrigue to the crosstown rivalry (which, otherwise, is intrigue-free!). The Yankees swung a trade for Devin Williams of the Brewers, while the Mets bit their nails as Holmes worked his way up the depth chart following injuries to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas.

All of a sudden, Holmes wasn't just a starter — he was the Opening Day starter. Yankee fans warned 'em, but Met fans wouldn't listen regarding Holmes' up-and-down nature. As far as they were concerned, he was guaranteed to be as eternally pristine as looked in Port St. Lucie for the entire year. Yes, even in his first year as an MLB starter. The crowing only got louder as the Yankees' rotation got more decimated.

And yet ... on Opening Day ... Holmes looked very much like a man figuring out how to start. Who'd have thunk it? He exited after 4 2/3 innings (normal). He allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and four walks (normal). He will be fine some days. He will be rough some other days. That's all we were saying all along. We weren't lying about the inevitabilities of baseball.

Former Yankees closer Clay Holmes struggles in Opening Day start with Mets

And, to add insult to injury, Devin Williams' Yankees debut went PERFECTL -- oh. Hmm. I see. That looked a lot like Holmes, actually. Still got the job done, though.

Holmes will as well, more often than not. Probably. But there's never been a more ringing endorsement of spring training stats not being a be all, end all than Thursday's game in Houston, which marked Juan Soto's second consecutive season beginning in the same ballpark.

Last year, he watched Holmes clog the bases, then bailed him out with a perfect strike from right field to cut down the tying run at the plate. If you'd asked him, Mets fans, he probably could've told you.