Holmes for the Holidays: Mets’ Clay, Sproat, Tong, and McLean Deliver Cheer
- Mark Rosenman
- 3 hours ago
- 8 min read
If you were wandering through Citi Field on Thursday morning and thought you’d accidentally taken a wrong turn into the North Pole, don’t worry. You weren’t hallucinating from too much egg nog. You had simply stumbled upon the Mets’ annual Kids Holiday Party, one of those rare baseball events where wins and losses don’t matter, the standings are irrelevant, and the only thing anyone is trying to pad is a gift bag.
As part of the MetsGiving initiative, the Mets along with the Amazin’ Mets Foundation welcomed nearly 140 elementary school students from Queens for a few hours of games, music, crafts, lunch, and what appeared to be the happiest midweek field trip in recorded history. Citi Field traded box scores for holiday songs, and for once the loudest cheers weren’t for a home run, but for Santa.
And yes, there was a Santa.
Clay Holmes embraced the role fully, donning the red suit and white beard with the confidence of a man who has thrived under pressure, whether it’s facing a lineup for the third time through or squeezing down a chimney on Christmas Eve. His wife Ashlyn played Mrs. Claus, a role that Mets fans of a certain age may recall was once memorably portrayed by Anna Benson, while Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong served as Santa’s helpers, handing out gifts, posing for photos, and generally looking like a future Mets rotation that had wandered in from Miracle on 34th Street.
Before Santa Holmes arrived, each of the participating schools performed holiday songs, filling the room with enough cheer to make even the most cynical sportswriter briefly forget about bullpen ERA. The kids rotated through games like air hockey, mini golf, Connect 4, chess, and Guess Who, though judging by the smiles, nobody cared who won as long as they got another turn. Every child received gifts and, thanks to Operation Warm, a brand-new winter coat, a tangible reminder that sometimes baseball and charity intersect in the coziest ways possible.
Among the helpers, Jonah Tong stood out, not because he asked to, but because the grin never left his face. “Everything,” he said, when asked what it meant to be up there. “It kind of reminds me of when I was a little kid. My dad used to have office parties like this all the time. Growing up and just seeing how these events can really impact kids, it’s everything for us. It’s just really cool being on the other side of it.” Tong’s smile doesn’t just light up a room—it lights up a borough. There’s something special about this kid, the kind of personality that Mets fans love, and my prediction is he will become a fan favorite very quickly.
The sense of shared experience extended to his fellow young pitchers. I think it’s a really cool opportunity for everyone to see us all together, Tong said, referring to himself, McLean, and Sproat. I really enjoy those guys, and they’re really looking forward to it. The friendship between the three has become a foundation off the field as well. They’re some of my closest teammates and friends off the field. Just to be here with them is awesome.
Tong also acknowledged the departures of veterans like Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Díaz, and Pete Alonso. Their presence is going to be missed 100 percent, he said. It’s a really cool opportunity for their families. I’m really excited to see what they do next. I think we’ve got a lot of really cool and talented people coming with us as well. It’s going to be really, really cool. When asked if the three of them could form a core of the rotation, Tong was confident. I think that we’re going to go out there and do everything we’ve done in the past. Let baseball control what’s going to happen.
For Nolan McLean, the holiday season carries special meaning in a baseball life that rarely slows down. Asked what the day meant to him, the right-hander didn’t hesitate. This is unbelievable. I didn’t really know I was doing it, but it’s been a lot of fun, honestly. Just seeing kids smile, it’s awesome. It means a lot. Usually it’s time to spend with family, and during the season you don’t get that much time with them. So it’s good to just be able to hang around the family as much as possible.
Watching the kids light up clearly struck a chord. That makes me feel very special inside. It’s really cool that that little amount of time in our day can make someone else’s day as well.
Much like Ronny Mauricio, Brett Baty, Francisco Álvarez, and Mark Vientos were once grouped together by fans and prospect watchers, McLean now finds himself linked with Sproat and Tong. Asked what it meant to spend the day together, McLean leaned into the elf persona. I don’t know who Nolan is, I’m just an elf. But we’ve got a special group with the Mets. It’s cool to be around the guys every day and just try to push each other to be better.
One thing that energized McLean was his World Baseball Classic invitation. I got an invitation a couple weeks ago, and I was super stoked. Just the opportunity to represent my country means the world to me. Even the timing caught him off guard. Yeah, I was very surprised, but I think they figured it’d be something I’d be passionate about and ready to do.
When asked how much his late-season starts gave him confidence heading into spring training, McLean said, I definitely get confidence from it, but at the end of the day, I can be better. It was a small sample size, so I want to prove I can do it for a whole season. His offseason reflects that mindset. I only took about a week off from throwing. Lots of weight training, getting my body built up. I’ve been off the mound for a couple weeks now. Landing all my pitches more consistently and getting more confident in my off-speed pitches is the focus heading into camp.
Regarding the Mets’ offseason moves, McLean stayed grounded. I don’t know too much day to day. I know David’s trying to put the best team together he can to help us win games, and we trust him to do that. As for Marcus Semien, he hasn’t met him yet. I haven’t gotten to meet him, but I’ve heard he’s a great dude, so it’d be awesome to have him in the clubhouse.
McLean also had a message for fans processing the loss of Nimmo, Díaz, and Alonso. It’s baseball at the end of the day. I think we’ve got a really good group getting put together right now. Just keep supporting the Mets, and we’re going to be really good. We love those guys to death. We’re happy for them and their families, and we pray the best thing for them. On pressure: I know it’s cliché, but pressure is a privilege. To compete at the highest level in front of an awesome fan base, it means the world.
Brandon Sproat approached the holiday festivities with a similar mix of humor, humility, and focus. Asked about the experience, he laughed. This is a first for me. I don’t know how I look in it, but I probably look ridiculous. But it’s pretty warm. He was referring to his elf outfit, though just as Sproat was kept cozy, the 140 students were staying warm thanks to Operation Warm coats.
Reflecting on the offseason and last season’s debuts, Sproat said, Watching McLean’s outing on his debut, that was incredible. We were all in the locker room, jumping up and down, screaming, especially after the behind-the-back grab to get out of the inning. Watching Jonah in his outing, he threw amazing, and we were just screaming for him through the TV. All the work nobody sees has paid off.
Sproat also reflected on the bond with McLean and Tong. All three of us have come up together, and that’s super fun. You build a close bond and are able to be here together. We talk every day, baseball or not. Video games, golf, you name it. On their future, Sproat didn’t hesitate. Yeah, absolutely. Even though we’re young, we bring a lot to the table. Regarding the veterans who left, It stinks, but it’s part of the game. Super happy for them. I wish them nothing but the best.
Clay Holmes wrapped up the day as Santa with the same focus and mentorship he brings to the mound. It was fun, first time ever being Santa Claus. Just to be a part of the Christmas spirit and see these kids, enjoy the atmosphere, and hand out gifts, it was fun. It’s a great thing they do here, and I’m glad to be a little small part of it. On recruiting Ashlyn as Mrs. Claus: There were some good recruiters. Edgar, our travel secretary, is pretty good at convincing people.
Holmes also reflected on mentoring the young pitchers. They’re obviously very talented. The velo, the off-speed, the ability to spin stuff. You can tell these kids are very driven. They want to do the right thing, they want to be great. Really, all the tools are there, so it’s exciting to see.
He offered insight on Luke Weaver, a new rotation addition and former teammate. He’s got some fun to him, he’s got character, good energy. Luke’s obviously had a lot of success. I’m happy to see him get rewarded and play with him again. We get along really well, he balances me a little, I balance him a little — we’ve got a match pretty good. Just happy to have him as a match. Weaver even contacted Holmes before joining the Mets to pick his brain about the organization. It was cool. Things went fast for him. There were a lot of things he really liked. I’m just really happy for him that it worked out. Reflecting on a potential move for someone like Cody Bellinger, Holmes said, It’s an exciting time. What they’re trying to do here is going to be pretty special. It’s obviously a great place to play, and I’m sure a lot of players will find people they can reach out to and learn from.
On the offseason, the rotation, and the road ahead, Holmes kept perspective. We have a lot of really good pitchers. Some moments last year were great, some moments we could have done better. Having the talent and some competition only makes people better. You have to control what you can and find ways to improve and take a step forward. If we can, it’s really going to help the team. Reflecting on handling a full season, he said, Being able to adjust and handle the innings, bounce back, was a good sign.
Holmes acknowledged the departures of Nimmo, Díaz, and Alonso, while also highlighting new additions like Semien, Weaver, and Devin Williams. Sometimes you have to wait. It’s not about how fast you get things done, but how many games we can win in September and finish in the best position for the postseason. I’m excited to see where this goes. On pitching in the WBC: I’m super excited. It’s an opportunity you never really know if you’ll get again. For someone as young as Nolan, just being around those guys, seeing how they work, asking questions — it’s going to be a special experience for him.
Santa costume aside, Clay Holmes approached the holiday party with the same energy, mentorship, and thoughtfulness he brings to the mound, proving that the spirit of the season and the drive to succeed can coexist in perfect harmony.
The Kids Holiday Party is a reminder that baseball at its best is about more than home runs or strikeouts. It is about community, joy, mentorship, and giving back. At Citi Field, on a chilly Thursday morning, the Mets showed that the future of the franchise is in capable hands and that sometimes, the greatest wins happen off the field.
Hear directly from the Mets’ rising stars and Holmes himself. For videos of the full interviews with Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong, and Clay Holmes, click the links below.