Casey Kelly

2013

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2012

Obtained in the Adrian Gonzalez deal, Kelly saw some decent improvement at Double-A in 2011. His K/9IP dropped to 6.64 but that was much more in line with his career average. However, he also dropped his walks which allowed his K/BB ratio to remain consistent and he cut his HR/9IP almost in half. The club is helping him make adjustments by raising his three-quarter arm slot just a bit and that seems to be reflecting in his above-average control -- a necessity given that he doesn't blow you away with his fastball which tops out around 93 mph. One final note is that Kelly has always been a two-way player with decent range at shortstop. How long that continues remains to be seen, but it's certainly something to watch as he makes his way through the system.

2011

Try not to pass judgment on Kelly's numbers in 2010. It was the first full season of pitching for the 20-year-old and he's still developing his secondary offerings at an advanced level, given his age. Even as a talented work in progress, the Padres were adamant that Kelly was included as the centerpiece of the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. Kelly showed improvement with his curveball and changeup, while gaining velocity on his fastball. He must learn to harness that velocity while bringing some level of consistency to every outing. Further development is the goal for Kelly in 2011, and he's likely a year or two away from earn his place in the Padres' rotation.

2010

Kelly, Boston's 20-year-old pitcher/shortstop, is the Red Sox's prospect du jour after dominating the Low-A South Atlantic League as a pitcher. He pitched for half the season, then played shortstop for the second half. He played in the Arizona Fall League as a shortstop, but that's because he had reached the innings-limit set by the organization for the year. He's got great control while keeping the ball down in the zone. His fastball right now is in the 88-91 mph range, but it projects into the mid 90s as he continues his development on the mound. He's already showcasing some advanced secondary pitches (curveball, changeup) and just needs to stretch out as a starter. Scouts like him more as a pitcher, and he may feel the same way after his success on the mound. The Red Sox will sit with him during the offseason to map out a plan for 2010, which will definitely include more work as a pitcher.

2009

Kelly got a sniff of Short Season Lowell last year after spending some time in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He prefers shortstop and concentrated on that part of the game while in high school, but the Red Sox see his future as a pitcher. He has a low-90s fastball, a hard curve and a changeup, with good command of all of them. The Red Sox plan to begin him as a pitcher to start the season, then shift him to shortstop once he reaches an innings limit.