Quick Facts
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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.
Amateur career
Kelly grew up in Springfield, Virginia and attended Paul VI Catholic High School.
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. As a sophomore, Kelly posted a 3–3 record with a 3.74 ERA in 15 appearances with 11 starts. 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. Kelly went 7–7 with a 3.26 ERA and 94 strikeouts over 15 starts.
Professional career
Cleveland Indians / Guardians
The Cleveland Indians selected Kelly in the 19th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. 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. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kelly was assigned to the High-A Lake County Captains for the 2021 season. 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. 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
On December 7, 2022, Kelly was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 2022 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. On March 27, 2023, the Rays announced that Kelly had made the Opening Day roster.
On April 28, Kelly recorded the final out in a 3–2 victory over the Chicago White Sox to earn his first career save.
Personal life
In January 2023, Kelly announced his engagement via his Instagram account to his longtime girlfriend Dr. Sarah Hosseinian. The two of them married in Leesburg, Virginia on January 13, 2024.