The hold stat was created in part to measure the effectiveness of middle relief pitchers. Put simply, holds are to middle relievers what saves are to closers.

A hold is earned when a reliever comes into a save situation and gives way to another reliever without giving up the lead.

Holds is not an official MLB statistical category, so you may find that different statistical services use a different criteria.

Therefore, holds reflected in box scores may not appear in your team scoring.

To receive credit for a hold in Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Baseball, the pitcher must record an out.

Over the course of a season, you may find some unique scoring situations arise in your league:

• A pitcher CAN earn both a loss and a hold in the same game. To earn a hold, a pitcher need only exit the game without surrendering the lead.
  
  So, if a pitcher protecting a 2-0 lead is removed after recording one out and allowing three baserunners, he can earn both a hold and a loss if his replacement surrenders a home run that results in three runs charged to the original pitcher.
• A pitcher CAN earn both a win and a hold in the same game. This may happen if the starting pitcher fails to complete at least five innings. When this occurs, the official scorer will credit the win to the pitcher he/she feels was most effective.
  
  If the win is awarded to the pitcher who also met the criteria for a hold, that pitcher will be credited with both a win and a hold in the fantasy game.