Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ARI | RHP | 12 | 45 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | SL | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 45/40 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Matt Thompson
Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-4
Weight: 205 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2018 8th
RuleV: 2021
Physical Description: Solidly constructed pitcher's frame that looks like he can handle a big league workload. Good frame that lacks much physical projection but is already filled out. Long limbs, but keeps the delivery in check.
Delivery & Mechanics: Pitches from third base side of the rubber. Comes set at the belt before small step back to begin his motion. Will start and stop prior to leg lift, and will vary his timing and mess with hitters that way. Drop and drive delivery. Exudes effort, and has a severe head whack, meaning he pulls his head down towards his glove-shoulder as he's releasing the pitch. Violent finish, but has managed to throw strikes despite non-ideal mechanics. His entire arsenal plays up though because he hides the ball so well.
Fastball: Sits 91-93. Touches 95 with the heater. Uses the fastball to set up hitters. Eyes tell me the pitch has good carry up in the zone, but the movement profile appears to be pretty flat otherwise. He needs to stay out of the middle of the plate because he doesn't throw hard enough to get away with mistakes. He remade his body and looks like a different person since the draft, but didn't add any velocity. Grade: 50
Slider: With confidence I will say that the slider I saw Kelly throwing when he was in Low-A is a big league outpitch right now. It's nasty. Two-plane break with mean bite. It has some different variations and can look like a curveball at times, but the horizontal run it gets late make it a slider for me. He will throw one version that looks like a traditional slider, but with nasty bite. Throws it at the back foot against lefties or gets a righty to chase off the plate. He will throw it up in the zone to tunnel off the fastball and let the movement take over. The other version has less horizontal movement but tight 12-to-6 type break. Uses this more against righties and gets a swinging strike below the zone quite often. Plus pitch now, chance at being double-plus when he gets a better handle on the movement. Grade: 60
Control and Command: Kelly is around the zone, but doesn't hit the mitt as often as you'd like. He's trimmed down the arsenal and basically only throws two pitches now, and has better command of his slider over his fastball. As a starter the pitch counts can pile up sometimes because he doesn't command his fastball very well. Control: 45 | Command: 40
Overall: The Diamondbacks could convert Kelly to a reliever right now and have a big league ready arm to use in their bullpen. I do understand wanting to keep him as a starter though, and it can work because you can go twice through the order with only two pitches. He did pitch exclusively out of the stretch during spring training 2.0, so maybe Kelly to the bullpen is on the horizon.
OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Spot Starter/Long Relief & Low Leverage Relief
Risk: Moderate
