What is a Hold? Definition and Examples
A hold is a relief-pitching stat awarded when a pitcher enters in a save situation, records at least one out, and leaves the game with the lead still intact for a teammate to finish.
The Hold, Defined
A hold is a relief-pitching credit given to a setup man (or any non-closing reliever) who enters in a save situation, records at least one out, and exits with his team's lead still intact. The hold was created in the 1980s to recognize the bullpen work that gets a team from the starter to the closer — work that produces no save, no win, and historically no statistical fingerprint. Multiple pitchers can earn a hold in the same game, which is what distinguishes it from the save.
How a Hold Is Awarded
Three conditions must all be true for an official hold:
1. The pitcher enters the game in a save situation — defined as (a) leading by three runs or fewer with the tying run on base, at bat, or on deck, or (b) entering with a lead of three runs or fewer at any time, or (c) pitching at least three effective innings while protecting a lead.
2. The pitcher records at least one out before leaving.
3. The pitcher leaves with the lead still intact — he does not surrender the tie or the go-ahead run during his outing.
If the reliever finishes the game while preserving the lead, he gets a save instead, not a hold. If he gives up the lead, he gets a blown save (and possibly a loss), not a hold. Holds are not an official MLB statistic in the same tier as wins or saves — they are tracked by the leagues and accepted league-wide, but they don't appear on Hall of Fame plaques.
Worked Example
In 2023, Bryan Abreu of the Astros recorded 33 holds across 72 appearances — entering primarily in the seventh and eighth innings ahead of closer Ryan Pressly and consistently handing off leads. A typical Abreu hold: enter in the eighth with a 4–2 lead and a runner on first, strike out two of the three batters faced, leave with the lead 4–2, and watch Pressly close it out for the save. Abreu gets the hold; Pressly gets the save; both get paid in arbitration.
For a multi-hold game, look at any modern bullpen day: the sixth-inning man, the seventh-inning man, and the eighth-inning man can each earn a hold if each enters in a save situation and each leaves with the lead intact.
Why the Hold Matters
The hold is the primary statistical case a setup reliever makes in arbitration. Saves drive closer salaries; holds drive setup-man salaries. Fantasy leagues — particularly deeper or "Holds + Saves" (SVHD) formats — treat holds as a roto category, which has reshaped how managers value middle relief on draft day. Front offices use holds combined with Leverage Index and Win Probability Added to identify the high-leverage non-closer arms who quietly drive team run prevention.
Limitations and Misconceptions
A hold is a binary, situation-dependent credit — like a save, it rewards the right inning more than the right pitching. A reliever who throws a scoreless eighth in a 10–2 game earns nothing; the same outing in a 4–2 game earns a hold. Holds also ignore quality of work: a pitcher who loads the bases but escapes with the lead gets the same credit as one who strikes out the side. And because the hold requires entering with a lead, dominant relievers used in tied or trailing games can post elite ERAs with single-digit hold totals.
Related Terms
In Legends Deck
Legends Deck reliever cards carry a Setup rating that scales off real-world hold totals and Leverage Index — so a 33-hold workhorse like Abreu generates higher seventh- and eighth-inning effectiveness in simulated games than a same-ERA reliever used in lower-leverage spots.