What is a hold in mlb?

In baseball, a hold is a statistic credited to a relief pitcher who enters a game in a save situation, records at least one out, and maintains their team's lead until the closer comes in to finish the game. A hold is not an official statistic recognized by Major League Baseball, but it is often tracked as a way to measure a reliever's effectiveness in high-pressure situations.

The hold stat was created in the 1980s as a way to acknowledge the contributions of setup pitchers who help bridge the gap between the starting pitcher and the closer. It is typically used to indicate that a reliever successfully performed their job of preserving a lead, even if they did not finish the game themselves.

While holds are not as widely recognized as saves or wins, they are still considered an important statistic in evaluating a relief pitcher's performance. Some analysts believe that holds are a better indicator of a reliever's effectiveness than saves, as they can occur in a variety of game situations and require the pitcher to perform under pressure.

Overall, holds are a valuable tool for measuring the impact of relief pitchers and their ability to help their team secure victories.