Michael Kelly

Note: This page is for 2020s pitcher Michael Kelly; for others with a similar name, click here.

Michael Joseph Kelly

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 195 lb.
• High School West Boca Raton Community High School
• Debut June 16, 2022

• Born September 6, 1992 in Boynton Beach, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Michael Kelly was a supplemental first-round pick in the 2011 amateur draft, taken by the San Diego Padres with the 48th overall pick. He was the Padres' second selection in the draft, following Cory Spangenberg. The pick was compensation for the loss of Jon Garland to free agency. Like Spangenberg, the scout who signed him was Willie Bosque.

He led his high school team to a state title, then made his pro debut in 2012 with the Fort Wayne TinCaps. However, it took him ten minor league seasons to reach The Show, which he finally did in 2022 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. This journey included time in the organizations of the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros in addition to the Padres and Phillies, one season in the independent leagues with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League in 2019, and sitting out the 2020 season when the minor leagues were shut down by the Coronavirus pandemic. In his debut on June 16th, he pitched one scoreless inning in relief of Zack Wheeler in a 10-1 win over the Washington Nationals.

In 2023, he went 1-0, 3.78 in 14 games for the Cleveland Guardians with 16 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings. He moved over to the Oakland Athletics in 2024, and had a very solid first two months, going 3-2, 2.59 in 28 relief appearances. However. his season ended suddenly on June 4th when he was one of four players implicated alongside Tucupita Marcano, who received a lifetime ban, for betting on baseball games while in the minor leagues. The four all were suspended for one year. In Kelly's case, MLB's investigation found that he had placed ten bets, nine involving MLB games, in October 2021 while a member of the Houston Astros' Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Skeeters.

Further Reading

• Mark Feinsand: "MLB announces sports betting suspensions for 5 players: Marcano on permanently ineligible list; 4 others receive 1-year suspensions", mlb.com, June 4, 2024. [1]
• Lukas Weese: "MLB bans Padres’ Tucupita Marcano permanently for betting on baseball", The Athletics, June 4, 2024. [2]

Related Sites

• Michael Kelly on mlb.com
• BR Minors page