Levi Kelly
{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1999)}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name = Levi Kelly
|image = LeviKelly.jpg
|caption = Kelly with Kane County in 2019
|team =
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|position = Pitcher
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|5|14}}
|birth_place = St. Albans, West Virginia, U.S.
|bats = Right
|throws = Right
|debutleague =
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|statyear =
|statleague =
|stat1label = Win–loss record
|stat1value =
|stat2label = Earned run average
|stat2value =
|stat3label = Strikeouts
|stat3value =
|teams =
}}
Levi Hunter Kelly (born May 14, 1999) is an American former professional baseball pitcher.
Amateur career
Kelly began his high school career at Nitro High School in Nitro, West Virginia.{{cite web|url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/sports/baseball-precocious-nitro-freshman-levi-kelly-garnering-attention/article_149f267d-14be-5fcd-9581-dffc6ed431ee.html|title=Baseball: Precocious Nitro freshman Levi Kelly garnering attention|first=Doug|last=Smock|website=Charleston Gazette-Mail|date=6 May 2015 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/sports/nitro-s-levi-kelly-dealing-with-fame-notoriety/article_f5b50359-3606-50ee-8f3f-1cf7f8ce61e4.html|title=Nitro's Levi Kelly dealing with fame, notoriety|first=Rich|last=Stevens|website=Charleston Gazette-Mail|date=13 April 2015 }}{{cite web|url=http://wchstv.com/sports/top-sports/nitro-freshmen-levi-kelly-a-star-in-the-making|title=Nitro Freshmen Levi Kelly A Star In The Making|first=Nicholas|last=Hurst|date=May 7, 2015|website=WCHS}} As a freshman, he committed to play college baseball at Louisiana State University.{{cite web|url=http://wvmetronews.com/2015/05/12/nitros-kelly-makes-college-choice-with-lsu-commitment/|title=Nitro's prized freshman Kelly commits to LSU|date=May 12, 2015|website=WV MetroNews}}{{cite web | last=Miller | first=Brody | title=MLB Draft 2018: LSU-signee Levi Kelly drafted by Arizona Diamondbacks in 8th round | website=NOLA.com | date=2018-06-05 | url=https://www.nola.com/archive/article_e188b255-183c-51ee-9cfd-48e10748cf82.html | access-date=2025-02-16}} Following his freshman year, he transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.{{cite web|url=http://wvmetronews.com/2015/08/10/nitros-kelly-transfers-to-img-academy/|title=Nitro's Kelly transfers to IMG Academy|date=August 10, 2015|website=WV MetroNews}} After his sophomore year at IMG, he transferred to Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Florida. In 2017, as a junior, he went 7–1 with a 0.62 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 56 innings.{{cite web | last=Martin | first=Alex | title=Southwest Florida's 2018 MLB Draft class. Where are they now? | website=The News-Press | date=2019-06-02 | url=https://www.news-press.com/story/sports/2019/06/02/where-they-now-southwest-floridas-2018-mlb-draft-class-year-later/1289878001/ | access-date=2025-02-16}} Following his junior year, he transferred back to IMG Academy for his senior season.{{cite web|url=http://wvmetronews.com/2018/06/20/former-in-state-product-levi-kelly-to-begin-professional-baseball-journey/|title=Former in-state product Levi Kelly to begin professional baseball journey|date=June 20, 2018|website=WV MetroNews}}
Professional career
After his senior year, Kelly was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the eighth round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.{{cite web|url=https://www.news-press.com/story/sports/high-school/2018/06/06/arizona-diamondbacks-take-blaze-alexander-11-th-round/677254002/|title=Diamondbacks, Braves draft Verot's Alexander brothers; Canterbury's DiGiacomo to the Pirates|first=Adam|last=Regan|website=The News-Press}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/10-intriguing-players-drafted-on-day-2-c279990910|title=10 intriguing names picked on Draft Day 2|website=MLB.com}}
Kelly signed with the Diamondbacks, and made his professional debut with the Arizona League Diamondbacks of the Rookie-league, pitching six scoreless innings. In 2019, Kelly spent the season with the Kane County Cougars of the Single-A Midwest League.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/levi-kelly-speeds-up-his-timetable/|title=Levi Kelly Speeds Up His Timetable|first=Nick|last=Piecoro|website=www.baseballamerica.com|date=24 May 2019 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/sports/ct-abn-spt-baseball-kane-county-cougars-st-071019-20190709-evtp45w2xzhj7he5rifo4vpr4e-story.html|title=Levi wears it well: Kelly develops new pitch for Kane County Cougars called a 'splutter'|first=Paul|last=Johnson|website=chicagotribune.com|date=9 July 2019 }} Over 22 starts, he pitched to a 5–1 record with a 2.15 ERA, striking out 126 over {{fraction|100|1|3}} innings.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/diamondbacks-levi-kelly-joins-d-backs-for-camp/|title=Diamondbacks' Levi Kelly: Joins D-Backs for camp|website=CBSSports.com|date=29 June 2020 }} Kelly did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league because of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-canceled |title=2020 Minor League Baseball season canceled |work=Mlb.com |date=2020-06-30 |access-date=2021-08-27}}
After recovering from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the first month of the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Amarillo Sod Poodles of the Double-A Central.{{cite web|author=RotoWire Staff |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/diamondbacks-levi-kelly-returns-from-shoulder-injury/ |title=Diamondbacks' Levi Kelly: Returns from shoulder injury |publisher=CBSSports.com |date= 25 May 2021|access-date=2021-08-27}} In mid-August, after struggling to a 5.40 ERA over 25 innings pitched in relief, he was placed on the development list, where he finished the year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/prospects/dbacks/levi-kelly-669189|title=D-backs Top Prospects|website=MLB.com}} He returned to Amarillo to begin the 2022 season, but pitched only one inning due to injury.{{cite web | url=https://www.milb.com/amarillo/news/amarillo-sod-poodles-opening-day-roster-revealed | title=Amarillo Sod Poodles Opening Day Roster Revealed }} Kelly began the 2023 season with the High-A Hillsboro Hops, but struggled to an 11.05 ERA with two strikeouts in {{fraction|7|1|3}} innings pitched. He was released on May 4, 2023.{{cite web | url=https://www.milb.com/player/levi-kelly-669189 | title=Levi Kelly Stats, Fantasy & News }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Levi}}
Category:Arizona League Diamondbacks players
Category:Baseball players from West Virginia
Category:Kane County Cougars players
Category:Amarillo Sod Poodles players
Category:Hillsboro Hops players
Category:People from St. Albans, West Virginia