SAN FRANCISCO — Few players on the Giants roster have a background to match Casey Kelly’s. The right-hander was a first-rounder in 2008 and made Baseball America’s Top 100 list four times, peaking at No. 24.
Kelly never lived up to that hype, but in 2018, he finally found some big league success. Playing for his third big league team, Kelly had a 3.04 ERA in seven appearances for the Giants. That’s enough to get your own story in this end-of-season look at the 2018 team.
Here are the highs and lows from Kelly’s first year with the organization …
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What Went Right
Kelly earned an August promotion by consistently going deep into games in Triple-A, with a bunch of dominant starts mixed in. He had six appearances of at least seven innings with the River Cats, allowing five total runs in those starts. At the time of his call-up, Kelly led the Pacific Coast League in innings pitched.
He earned a big league start by going five scoreless relief innings in his Giants debut. Kelly became just the third pitcher in San Francisco Giants history to throw at least five innings of relief in his team debut, joining Don Larsen and John Montefusco. His first start came six days later, and he pitched in front of his father, the bench coach for the Reds.
What Went Wrong
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That first Giants start didn’t quite go as hoped. Kelly allowed just one run over 4 1/3, but gave up nine hits as the Giants lost as part of a crushing sweep. Overall, nothing really jumped off the page. He had a 1.39 WHIP in the majors and his strikeout rate (6.1) was low.
Kelly works quickly, but his stuff is no longer dominant. Those sharp minor league starts were matched by plenty of clunkers. Kelly had a 4.76 ERA overall with the River Cats.
Contract Status
Kelly initially signed a minor league contract with the Giants.
The Future
If you remember Kelly the super-prospect, it might be shocking to know he still is just 29. He heads into the offseason with no obvious path to early playing time with the Giants. Their rotation is somewhat deep, and they’ll either bring Derek Holland back or add in free agency.
Kelly has been a reliever in the past, but the Giants don’t really view him that way, so it seems likely that he’ll be jettisoned off the 40-man roster this offseason as the team clears spots for younger prospects. Still, he could be back.
Kelly is exactly the kind of pitcher you love to have on your Triple-A club, and if he’s willing to accept that role again, the Giants could use him on a River Cats squad that doesn’t have any starting depth.