Kevin Clayton Kelly (born November 28, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023.
| Kevin Kelly | |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays – No. 49 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: November 28, 1997 Augusta, Georgia, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 1, 2023, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| MLB statistics (through April 23, 2024) | |
| Win–loss record | 6–2 |
| Earned run average | 3.30 |
| Strikeouts | 61 |
| Teams | |
| |
Amateur career edit
Kelly grew up in Springfield, Virginia and attended Paul VI Catholic High School.[1]
Kelly attended James Madison University and played college baseball for the James Madison Dukes for three seasons. He was named a freshman All-American by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper after going 5–3 with a 2.91 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched over 24 relief appearances.[2] As a sophomore, Kelly posted a 3–3 record with a 3.74 ERA in 15 appearances with 11 starts.[3] After the 2018 season, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star.[4][5] Kelly went 7–7 with a 3.26 ERA and 94 strikeouts over 15 starts.[6]
Professional career edit
Cleveland Indians / Guardians edit
The Cleveland Indians selected Kelly in the 19th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[7] After signing with the team he was assigned to the Arizona League Indians and had a 2.08 ERA and struck out 25 batters in 17+1⁄3 innings pitched.[8] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
Kelly was assigned to the High-A Lake County Captains for the 2021 season.[10] In 40 appearances for Lake County, he posted a 5–5 record and 4.66 ERA with 81 strikeouts and 7 saves in 56.0 innings pitched. He began the 2022 season with the Double-A Akron RubberDucks.[11] In 48 appearances split between Akron and the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, Kelly pitched to a combined 5–2 record and 2.04 ERA with 75 strikeouts and 4 saves in 57.1 innings of work.
Tampa Bay Rays edit
On December 7, 2022, Kelly was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the Rule 5 draft and added to their 40-man roster. The same day, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash considerations.[12] On March 27, 2023, the Rays announced that Kelly had made the Opening Day roster.[13] On April 28, Kelly recorded the final out in a 3–2 victory over the Chicago White Sox to earn his first career save.[14] In 57 appearances out of the bullpen in his rookie campaign, he logged a 3.09 ERA with 56 strikeouts across 67 innings pitched.
Kelly was optioned to the Triple–A Durham Bulls to begin the 2024 season.[15]
Personal life edit
In January 2023, Kelly announced his engagement via his Instagram account[16] to his longtime girlfriend Dr. Sarah Hosseinian. The two of them married in Leesburg, Virginia on January 13, 2024.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Paul VI's baseball team has something to prove". The Washington Post. April 6, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ "Collegiate Baseball Freshmen AA Team". Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ "Kelly ready to take over as JMU's ace". WHSV.com. February 11, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ "#25 Kevin Kelly". pointstreak.com. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
- ^ "JMU's Kelly named Cape Cod League All-Star". WHSV.com. July 19, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ "Dukes Await MLB Draft". Daily News-Record. June 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ "Three more JMU pitchers selected in MLB Draft". WHSV.com. June 5, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ "JMU Product Goggin, TA's Hanifee Get Early Spring Info". Daily News-Record. February 11, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled". mlb.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^ "Former Diamond Dukes Set To Begin Minor League Season". Daily News-Record. April 5, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ "Strong bullpen effort lifts Akron RubberDucks to win over Binghamton Rumble Ponies". Akron Beacon Journal. May 19, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ McDonald, Darragh (December 7, 2022). "2022 Rule 5 Draft Results". MLB Trade Rumors.
- ^ "Reliever Kevin Kelly can finally exhale as Rays complete roster". tampabay.com. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ "Rays' Kevin Kelly: Picks up first career save". cbssports.com. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
- ^ "Rays' Kevin Kelly: Sent down to minors". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
External links edit
- James Madison Dukes bio
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)