Isaac Stevens | July 28,2024
On July 15, 2024, the Rockies claimed LHP Antoine Kelly off waivers from the Texas Rangers.
The Rockies are familiar with claiming under-the-radar pitchers from other teams. Jalen Beeks, Tyler Kinley, and recently traded Nick Mears are recent examples of pitchers the Rockies have claimed from waivers. Each of those three pitchers had diamonds in the rough qualities that the Rockies thought they could work with. With each player garnering success, the Rockies believe that it’s a viable tactic for acquiring competent relievers. Which evidently, is true. Antoine Kelly is the next project for the Rockies and could be due for his service soon in a developing Rockies bullpen.
The left-handed flame thrower has had nothing short of a story-filled career. From being drafted by the Brewers in the second round of the 2019 draft, to being traded to the Rangers, and now finding his way into the Rockies organization. There’s something noteworthy at each interval and it’s worth elaborating on what he brings to the organization.
Antoine Kelly Timeline
Minor League Career
In the 2018 MLB Draft, the San Diego Padres selected Antoine Kelly in the 13th round out of high school. Instead, he opted to go to school at Wabash Valley College. For Wabash Valley, Kelly struck out an absurd 112 batters in 52.2 IP (19.14 K/9). That was good enough for the Milwaukee Brewers to select him in the 2nd round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
Minor League Stats:
2019: 10 G, 31.2 IP, 2.84 ERA, 12.8 K/9, 2.6 BB/9
2020: Didn’t play due to the Minor League Season being canceled
2021: 9 G, 19.1 IP, 9.78 ERA, 12.6 K/9, 8.8 BB/9
2022: 26 G, 109.2 IP, 4.43 ERA, 11.7 K/9, 5.8 BB/9
2023: 49 G, 57.1 IP, 2.04 ERA, 12.4 K/9, 3.6 BB/9
2024: 20 G, 18.2 IP, 8.68 ERA, 12.5 K/9, 10.6 BB/9
Kelly was quick to make his pro debut and even made 10 professional starts across Rookie Ball and Single-A posting a 2.84 ERA. His strikeout numbers translated well from Juco to the pros with a 12.8 SO/9 out of the gate. During the 2020 Fall Instructional League, Kelly was out due to thoracic outlet syndrome, which he later underwent surgery on that year.
In 2021, Kelly was still recovering from his surgery and his season was shortened. In his nine games pitched, Kelly struggled with command and limiting base runners, but again he maintained his elite strikeout numbers, and that carried onto his 2022 season. His command improved while giving up fewer runs, but there was still a long way to go. In August 2022, Kelly was involved in a trade with the Texas Rangers that sent RHP Matt Bush to the Brewers.
Alas, at the start of Antoine Kelly’s 2023 season, he was destined for a breakout season. For that to happen, the Rangers transitioned him to the bullpen full time where he excelled. For the season, Kelly compiled a 2.04 ERA in 57.1 IP. He was perfect in save opportunities (11/11), and maintained high strikeout numbers. After the season, Kelly was back on the radar for being a legit relief prospect with closer upside.
In 2024, he lost all control essentially. It could be attributed to his right rotator cuff strain, but still, Kelly’s 10.6 BB/9 is the highest of his professional career. Opponents had a .400 BABIP against Kelly too. Therefore, he was walking many batters, whilst also giving up loads of hits. So when the Rangers called up RHP Daniel Robert, it led them to DFA Kelly as the corresponding move. The Rockies were quick to claim Antoine Kelly off waivers from the Rangers.
What does Kelly bring to the Rockies?
Out of every Minor Leaguer who pitched at least 200 innings since 2019, Antoine Kelly ranks 34th out of 1,137 pitchers in K/9 at 12.17.
Antoine Kelly is a 6-foot-6, lanky, lefty reliever who generates power effortlessly on the mound. He pitches exclusively from the stretch, and does have a repeatable delivery.
With Kelly’s 6.5-foot extension, anything that he throws is going to be perceived faster than the actual velocity. Kelly uses his fastball the majority of the time, and when on, it is very effective. The second pitch he uses is his sweeping-esque slider. It’s a solid swing-and-miss pitch and gets good spin on it averaging around 2600-2700 RPM. With Kelly’s arm angle and release point, his slider should work well at altitude.
What does Kelly have to do to be an MLB reliever?
In his first outing with Albuquerque, we saw perhaps his most promising performance in Kelly’s entire 2024 campaign. He threw 1.1 IP of scoreless baseball while striking out 2 batters. In that game, his fastball averaged 97 MPH (47 CSW%), and his slider averaged 2604 RPM (topped out at 2996). That is a lethal two-pitch pair, especially from a low-slot lefty.
The issue is, Kelly hasn’t been able to throw strikes consistently. Kelly has the 12th worst BB% out of all Triple-A players with at least 10 IP. That could be from an injury to his forearm this year or a matter of his feet being settled. It’s an underlying issue that both him and the Rockies are forced to deal with.
Fresh into the organization, Kelly has some of the most impressive arm talent among the Rockies plethora of pitching prospects. At this point of the season, trying to actively make minor adjustments to see if something will be tweaked for the better is essential. Kelly is that close. He is one tweak away from being a Major League-caliber reliever with the upside of a late inning lefty. The Rockies are shooting for the stars with Kelly, and fans should be patient with his development.
Final Thoughts
Kelly is still just one season removed from being one of the most dominant relievers in the Minor Leagues. To pair that with being a player that scouts have always loved, there is undeniable potential. If the Rockies stay patient and keep him on the 40-man roster, Kelly could very likely be another success story like Nick Mears.
Thank you for reading!
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