Fernando Kelli

Fernando Luis Kelli Villasmil

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.

• Born July 28, 1998 in Puerto Cabello, Carabobo Venezuela

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Fernando Kelli has played in the minors (winning a MVP) and for the Venezuelan national team.

Kelli was signed by Chicago Cubs scout Carlos Figueroa in January 2016. He hit .240/.329/.247 for the 2016 DSL Cubs 2, then .320/.437/.443 for the DSL Cubs 1 the next year, stealing 58 bases in 73 tries and scoring 61 runs in 67 games. He also registered 13 outfield assists. He was among the Dominican Summer League offensive leaders in steals (1st by 23 over Yunior Martinez), times plunked (20, 2nd, 4 behind Reinaldo Ugueto), OBP (6th, between Emison Soto and Shervyen Newton) and runs (1st, one ahead of Omar Lebron). Among Cubs farmhands, he tied for 10th in triples, led in steals (twice as many as runner-up Jacob Hannemann) and tied Jason Vosler for the most times hit by pitch - all despite playing in a short-season league. In the affiliated minors, only Wes Rogers had more steals that year (playing 56 more games). He was named the DSL MVP.

He fell off to .236/.308/.295 with 28 steals in 41 tries for the 2018 Eugene Emeralds. He tied Oswaldo Pina for 7th in the Cubs system in swipes while tying Tanner Kirwer for the most in the Northwest League. The speedster batted .229/.298/.357 for Eugene in 2019 with 15 doubles, 35 runs and 24 steals (in 31 tries) in 62 games. He tied Blaine Crim and Cade Marlowe for 5th in the NWL in doubles, was second in steals (two behind Reinaldo Ilarraza) and tied for 6th with 8 HBP. That ended his time in the Cubs system, his lack of contact and power negating his fleet feet.

In the 2020-2021 Venezuelan Winter League, he hit .273/.314/.364 for the champion Caribes de Anzoátegui, backing up Willians Astudillo and Cesar Valera in left. In the 2022 Bolivarian Games, he was the starting center fielder for Venezuela, which won the Bronze Medal. He hit 9th in their opening win over the Gold-bound Dominican national team. Facing Alfredo Figaro his first time up, he grounded into a fielder's choice at home. His first hit was a double off Marcos Frias. For the Games, he batted .333/.313/.467 with three runs and a RBI in six games, surprisingly going 0-for-2 in steal attempts. He fielded .923.

Notable Achievements

• 2017 MVP Dominican Summer League DSL Cubs 1