Holloway agreed to an overslot bonus as a 20^th round pick in 2014, signing with the Marlins for $400K. As a prep arm from a Colorado high school, his rise through the system has been slow, and he has yet to pitch above the Class A level as a pro. He was turning a corner in 2017 before succumbing to TJ surgery and missed most of last season. I caught a look at Holloway building back innings during Instructional League.

The tall righty appears larger than his 6-foot-4 and 190-pound listing, struggling to control his body through the end of his delivery. He pitched from an abbreviated semi-windup that obviously was trying to stay simple through release. Holloway has a fairly rigid mechanical operation, though there isn’t much actual effort as he finishes. Imposing velocity is the calling card, running his fastball as high as the 97-to-98 mph range and sitting comfortably in the mid-90s. His heater shows late hop at the top of the zone but lacks lateral movement, flashing occasional downhill angle when he’s able to hit a low spot. Holloway showed improved command and sink when he pitched down at 93-to-94 mph as opposed to rearing back for something extra. His curveball flashes sharp bite in the 79-to-82 mph range, mixing more of a get-me-over at 76-to-77 mph for another look. His arsenal is fairly limited, as both a cutter (90-to-93 mph) and changeup (88-to-90 mph) are crude mix pitches that aren’t often around the plate.

Holloway badly needs to build up innings as a starter for the control and secondaries to refine. It will still be a slow burn—and this type of prospect often winds up a reliever—but his size, velocity, and hard spin make him a prospect. He’s far from a sure thing at this point, though both Holloway’s fastball and curveball have above-average potential.