Mario Eduardo Lemus Hollands (born August 26, 1988), is an American former professional baseball left-handed relief pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, in 2014.\n', '

Hollands played college baseball for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, where he earned a degree in sociology. The Phillies drafted him in the 2010 MLB Draft, and after a few seasons in their farm system, they invited him to spring training, in 2014. After performing well in those exhibition games, he made the Phillies\' 2014 Opening Day roster, and although he walked too many hitters, showed some potential to emerge as a decent relief pitcher. His teammates described him as a good personality to have in the bullpen, and his coaches approved of his development. Hollands, meanwhile, continued to further his college education, pursuing yet another degree, this time, studying merchandise marketing, at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.\n', '

Hollands attended El Cerrito High School in El Cerrito, California, where he played for the school\'s baseball team as a pitcher. He then enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where he played college baseball for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos baseball team. After redshirting his first season, he was named the Big West Conference freshman of the year and received placement on the national freshman All-American team in 2008. His sophomore season was less successful, and was hampered by a groin injury. The Minnesota Twins drafted him in the subsequent draft, but he did not sign. He focused on bulking up and improving the velocity of his fastball, which gained about 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h) thanks to his work. In college, his coaches praised his mental toughness, a key to being a good pitcher. During the summers, he participated in the Cape Cod League, and went on to have a strong senior season, during which he "was twice named the Big West Pitcher of the Week, twice named the National Pitcher of the Year, and tied a school record with a 16 strikeout performance." He graduated from UCSB with a degree in sociology. The Philadelphia Phillies selected Hollands in the tenth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft.\n', '

Return to Mario Hollands Autograph Profile