Carter Holton’s desire to win led him to Vanderbilt, MLB draft
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BVM) – Vanderbilt’s Carter Holton has established himself as one of the best pitchers in the SEC.
The 5-foot-11 left-hander has a 6-1 record on the season, a 1.06 WHIP and 81 strikeouts in 54 ⅔ innings. The junior standout has plenty of buzz around him that has translated into big-league hype.
Holton is the No. 49 prospect in this year’s MLB draft class according to MLB Pipeline.
Pure filth from Carter Holton today:
6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 10 K pic.twitter.com/CqubALIhLg
— Billy Derrick (@billyderrick10) April 6, 2024
But before he became the backbone of the weekend rotation in Nashville, he grew up in a baseball family in Georgia that eats, breathes and sleeps the sport.
“I fell in love with the game the second I picked up a baseball,” Carter said. “I’ve loved the game ever since.”
Carter and his brother CJ were introduced to baseball by their father Carl and that is all it took to create a lifelong passion for America’s favorite pastime. The Holton household was quickly established as the venue for local backyard games.
“Once we started hitting it over the fence pretty consistently, we had to stop playing in the front yard,” Holton joked. “I’ll always remember that.”
He brought the power that he was coveted for in the neighborhood to Benedictine Military School in Savannah, but it was his pitching that turned him into a national recruit.
Holton was ranked as the No. 21 player in the prep ranks for the Class of 2021 according to Perfect Game, but he slipped in that year’s draft to the 21st round due to his strong commitment to Vanderbilt. The southpaw always had a desire to play for the prestigious program.
Every prep batter in the 2021 class mentions Carter Holton when you talk about the toughest AB and you see why.
Last two outings for Holton
13 IP • 1 H • 1 R • 0 BB • 33 K! Including this 16k perfecto last night.
(🎥 via @TheBigGuyWJCL)pic.twitter.com/JWQPpzbNph
— Ian Smith (@IanSmittyGA) March 6, 2021
“The hardest thing to overlook is the winning culture,” Holton said. “I grew up always wanting to win. Once I got to know the coaches and everything about the school, it was exactly what I wanted.”
Holton excelled immediately, pitching to a 3.14 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP as a freshman. The transition off the field was smooth as well. Head coach Tim Corbin has the same type of ideologies that the pitcher was used to at his military school.
Welcome to college, Carter Holton.
Came out of the chute pumping 93-96 T97 with good ASR and garnered plenty of whiffs. Dropped in a couple of breaking balls, but fastball was star of the first inning. Three punchouts, two of them swinging. pic.twitter.com/ICHxCFWFIa
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) February 20, 2022
“He’s awesome in every way,” Holton said. “The military school I went to made me more of a man and matured me. That is everything he is about. We’re not here just to play baseball. He is always trying to prepare us for the next steps in our life.”
That next step for Holton could be his introduction into the pro game. While that is an exciting prospect, he prioritizes not thinking too far ahead. For the Georgia native and the rest of the Commodores’ clubhouse, it is about taking things day by day and trying to win the next ballgame.
The possibility of playing at Vanderbilt was always a dream for Holton growing up, and now that he is, it is something he cherishes every single time he is on the bump.
“If I were able to look back at my 10-year-old self and see where I am today, that is a huge accomplishment within itself,” Holton said. “Just being able to be a part of the Vanderbilt baseball program with that name across your chest.”
