Clay Holmes was something of an afterthought in the Mets starting rotation when this season began, somewhere behind a top rookie and proven ace.

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But six weeks into the season, it’s the 33-year-old Holmes who has shined the brightest in a rotation that includes Nolan McLean and Freddy Peralta.

Holmes will take a 1.69 ERA into his scheduled Saturday start in Arizona. His performance this season ranks among the biggest bright spots for a team that has greatly underwhelmed.

The right-hander’s success revolves greatly on a groundball rate of 57.4 percent that ranks in MLB’s 93^rd percentile.