Merrill Kelly | |||||||||||||||
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Arizona Diamondbacks – No. 29 | |||||||||||||||
Pitcher | |||||||||||||||
Born: Houston, Texas, U.S. | October 14, 1988|||||||||||||||
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |||||||||||||||
Professional debut | |||||||||||||||
KBO: April 2, 2015, for the SK Wyverns | |||||||||||||||
MLB: April 1, 2019, for the Arizona Diamondbacks | |||||||||||||||
KBO statistics (through 2018 season) | |||||||||||||||
Win–loss record | 48–32 | ||||||||||||||
Earned run average | 3.86 | ||||||||||||||
Strikeouts | 641 | ||||||||||||||
MLB statistics (through 2023 season) | |||||||||||||||
Win–loss record | 48–43 | ||||||||||||||
Earned run average | 3.80 | ||||||||||||||
Strikeouts | 681 | ||||||||||||||
Teams | |||||||||||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Kenneth Merrill Kelly (born October 14, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut on April 1, 2019. [1] Kelly formerly played for the SK Wyverns of the KBO League. [2]
Kelly lived in Lake Forest, Illinois from grades three to eight. [3] He also spent early years in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb before relocating to Scottsdale, Arizona and attending Desert Mountain High School. [4] The Baltimore Orioles selected Kelly in the 37th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, but he did not sign a contract. He attended Yavapai College. After playing college baseball at Yavapai for two years, the Cleveland Indians took him in the 22nd round of the 2009 MLB draft, but again, he did not sign. He transferred to Arizona State University, where he played for the Arizona State Sun Devils in 2010.
The Tampa Bay Rays selected Kelly in the eighth round (251st overall) of the 2010 MLB draft. [2] Kelly advanced about one minor league level each season, beginning his career at Low-A in 2010 and reaching Triple-A for the first time in 2013. He split his first professional season between the Hudson Valley Renegades and the Bowling Green Hot Rods. He was 8–7 with a 3.28 ERA for the 2011 Charlotte Stone Crabs. He had an 8–3 record and a 3.57 ERA for the 2012 Montgomery Biscuits after being used primarily in relief. In 2013, he went 13–8 with 111 strikeouts and a 3.64 ERA in 28 games (26 starts) for the Biscuits and Triple-A Durham Bulls. He allowed only 128 hits in 158 1/3 innings. He was a non-roster invitee to 2014 spring training, but did not make the Opening Day roster. [5] He pitched the 2014 season for Durham, going 9–4 with a 2.76 ERA, but remained in the minor leagues.
Kelly signed with the SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) ahead of the 2015 season. In four seasons with SK Wyverns, Kelly pitched to a 48–32 record and a 3.86 ERA [2] while winning the 2018 Korean Series. In Game 3 of the series, he pitched seven innings allowing two runs to earn the win. [6] He became a free agent after the 2018 season.
On December 4, 2018, the MLB Arizona Diamondbacks signed Kelly to a two-year major league contract. [7] On April 1, 2019, Kelly made his major league debut in a start versus the San Diego Padres. He earned a win and recorded a quality start by totaling six innings, while allowing three runs and striking out three. [8] After struggling for much of the season, Diamondbacks' manager Torey Lovullo called Kelly into his office and issued a warning that he was considering sending him down. When Kelly asked why, Lovullo responded by saying, "You are statistically the worst pitcher in the National League." Kelly took this as a challenge to improve. He made some mechanical adjustments and flourished in September by going 4-1 with a 2.18 ERA in his last five starts. [9] Overall in his first season with Arizona, Kelly led the National league in losses with 14 but led the team in wins (13) and innings (183+1⁄3). Kelly began the 2020 season in the rotation before being shut down on September 1 after 5 starts due to a shoulder injury. He returned healthy in 2021 but posted a 7–11 record over 27 starts on a Diamondbacks squad that lost 110 games.
On April 1, 2022, Kelly signed a two-year, $18 million contract extension with the Diamondbacks. [10] He started the 2022 season with a 15-inning scoreless streak, three short of the franchise record to begin a season. [11] Kelly won the National League Pitcher of the Month Award for July 2022 after pitching to a 1.31 ERA in six starts. [12] He also won the National League Player of the Week Award for the week of July 25–July 31. [13]
In Game 2 of the 2023 World Series, Kelly pitched a historic game. He pitched seven innings, striking out nine batters without allowing a walk. He only allowed three hits and one run. Only seven other pitchers in World Series history had ever pitched seven or more innings with that many strike outs and no walks. With the Diamondbacks eventually winning the game, Kelly became the first player to win a game in both the World Series and Korean Series. Kelly finished the 2023 post season with a 3-1 record in four starts with a 2.25 ERA. [9]
On October 6, 2022, Kelly announced that he would represent the United States national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. [14] He started for the United States in the championship game against Japan and was credited with the loss. [15]
Kelly's wife Bre gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Hadley, in February 2022. [16] [17]
David Thomas Bush is an American professional baseball coach and former pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Texas Rangers, and in the KBO League for the SK Wyverns.
Kwang-hyun Kim is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher for the SSG Landers of the KBO League. He has also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Brian Ernest Gordon is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB), and for the SK Wyverns and Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
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Henry Sosa Esther is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, in the KBO League (KBO) for the Kia Tigers, Nexen Heroes, LG Twins, and SK Wyverns, and in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the Fubon Guardians and Rakuten Monkeys.
Barry Ryan Enright is an American golfer and a former professional baseball pitcher and coach. Enright attended St. Mary's High School in Stockton, California and Pepperdine University. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Enright has also represented Great Britain internationally, including at the 2019 European Baseball Championship.
Joshua Michael Collmenter is an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves between 2011 and 2017, and currently plays in the Australian Baseball League for the Auckland Tuatara. He attended Central Michigan University and was the 2007 Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year.
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Christopher Michael Devenski, also known as "Devo", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays. Prior to playing professionally, Devenski played college baseball for Golden West College and California State University, Fullerton. The Chicago White Sox selected Devenski in the 25th round, with the 771st overall selection, of the 2011 MLB draft. He was named an MLB All-Star in 2017.
Alexander Edward Young is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for Texas Christian University (TCU), and was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second round of the 2015 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Diamondbacks, and has also played in MLB for the Cleveland Indians / Guardians and San Francisco Giants.
Jon Christopher Duplantier is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Duplantier in the third round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Diamondbacks, with whom he made his MLB debut in 2019.
Arthur Michael Lewicki is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks and in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for the SSG Landers.
Ryne Tanner Nelson is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022.
Bryce Martin Jarvis is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Diamondbacks selected Jarvis in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft and he made his MLB debut in 2023.
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Peter J. Strzelecki is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022 for the Milwaukee Brewers.
It was a rough homecoming-of-sorts for the 30-year-old rookie, who lived in suburban Lake Forest from grades three to eight.
Kelly and his brother also lived in Bryn Mawr, a Philadelphia suburb, for about four and a half years growing up.