Quick Facts
Biography
Brock Wyatt Holt (born June 11, 1988) is an American professional baseball utility player for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. While primarily used as an outfielder, Holt has started in and played at every position for the Red Sox, except for pitcher and catcher. He stands at 5'10" and weighs 180 lbs.
High school and college
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 in 2009, he posted a .348 batting average with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs in 59 games for the Rice Owls. He also led the Owls with 67 runs scored and shared the team lead with 11 stolen bases. In the same season, he was named both to the All-NCAA Regional Team and the All-Silver Glove Trophy Series team.
Holt was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the club's ninth round selection in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, one pick before Rice teammate Ryan Berry.
Professional career
Minor Leagues
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, which required surgery. He began the 2011 season with the Pirates' Double-A affiliate, the Altoona Curve. On July 13, 2011, Holt was named the MVP 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. 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, 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-present)
2013
On December 26, 2012 he was traded to the Boston Red Sox (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. Holt received his first championship ring when the Red Sox won the World Series over the St. Louis Cardinals, despite not playing in the postseason.
2014
Holt again started 2014 in Triple-A, but was called up May 17 after an injury to Will Middlebrooks and hit leadoff for the rest of the season. On May 31, 2014, against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park, Brock Holt hit his first Major League home run. On June 8, 2014, in order to allow Xander Bogaerts to play 3rd 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, 2014, against the Chicago White Sox, Holt drove in Daniel Nava in the bottom of the 9th 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.
On June 16, 2015, Holt hit for the cycle against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. He doubled, singled, and homered off of Julio Teherán, and completed it with a triple in the 8th 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.
On July 6, Holt was chosen to represent the Red Sox in the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game by Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost. Holt is the first player ever to be selected to the All Star Game after starting at seven or more positions before the break.
2016
Following the announcement that Wade Boggs number 26 was to be retired, Holt switched to jersey number 12 in 2016. 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. At the end of the season Brock Holt finished with a batting average of .255.
In the 2016 American League Division Series 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.
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
- 2-time Roberto Clemente Award nominee (2015 and 2016)
Personal life
Holt married Lakyn Pennington on November 9, 2013. They have a son, Griffin Wyatt Holt, born in December 2016.