Carson Kelly
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Carson Franklin Kelly (born July 14, 1994) is an American
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...
catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
for the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
. Born in Chicago, Kelly was raised in Beaverton, Oregon. After a standout amateur career at Westview High School, he was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the
2012 MLB draft The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto ...
. By his second professional season, he had switched from playing
third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
to catching. In the coming years, '' Baseball America'' rated him among the Cardinals' top prospects, twice naming him St. Louis's best defensive catcher. Kelly made his MLB debut in 2016 and saw limited playing time before being traded to the Diamondbacks after the 2018 season. He became Arizona's starting catcher in 2019, tying
Miguel Montero Miguel Angel Montero Fernandez (born July 9, 1983) is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Washington Nationals ...
's Diamondbacks record for the most
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s hit by a catcher in a season with 18.


Early life and career

Carson Franklin Kelly was born on July 14, 1994, in
Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. His parents, Mike and Traci, are Chicago natives. Mike worked as a Global Brand Marketing Director for
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
. Kelly grew up a fan of the Chicago Cubs. His favorite player, however, was Derek Jeter, who "always seemed to find a way to win". For most of his childhood, Kelly lived in Beaverton, Oregon, a suburb of
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
, although he and his family also briefly lived in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
around when Kelly was 12. At the age of four, Kelly started playing baseball. He also played
hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...
while he lived in Toronto. Kelly attended Stoller Middle School and Westview High School in Beaverton, Oregon. He was a star player for Westview's baseball team, where he played the
infield Infield is a sports term whose definition depends on the sport in whose context it is used. Baseball In baseball, the diamond, as well as the area immediately beyond it, has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-c ...
and also pitched. In 2011, his
junior year A junior is person in the third year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In United States high schools, a junio ...
, he appeared in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game, a national high school all-star game. He was named the Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012. He also won gold medals in the
2011 World Youth Baseball Championship The 2011 World Youth Baseball Championship was an under-16 International Baseball Federation, international baseball competition held in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico from August 19 to August 28, 2011. This event is considered a test event for the 2011 ...
and an under-18 international tournament.


Professional career


St. Louis Cardinals


Minor leagues

The
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
selected Kelly as a
third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
in the second round, 86th overall, of the 2012 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. Though Kelly had committed to the
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...
to play
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
for the
Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. ...
, he signed with the Cardinals instead, receiving a $1.6 million signing bonus. He began his professional career that year with the
Johnson City Cardinals The Johnson City Cardinals were a Minor League Baseball team based in Johnson City, Tennessee. The team was affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization from 1975 through 2020 and played in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. The team wo ...
of the Rookie-level Appalachian League,
batting Batting may refer to: * Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs * Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...
.225 with nine
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s and 25
runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...
(RBIs) in 56 games. In 2013, he was promoted to the
Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Peor ...
of the Class A
Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
. He struggled with Peoria, and was demoted to the
State College Spikes The State College Spikes are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in State College, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. T ...
of the
Class A-Short Season Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...
New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...
. In 113 games between the two clubs he batted .257 with 6 home runs and 45 RBIs. In 2013, Kelly and
Gary LaRocque Gary LaRocque is the director of player development for the St. Louis Cardinals, a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise. A graduate of the University of Hartford, he was an All-American shortstop. LaRocque began his professional baseball career ...
, the Cardinals' director of player development, discussed his switching positions to
catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
. Kelly believed the switch would make him more valuable in the Cardinals' system and began to transition during the 2013–14 offseason. Entering the 2014 season, '' Baseball America'' ranked him the 11th-best prospect for the Cardinals, and ''Baseball Prospectus'' ranked him St. Louis's sixth best. He played for Peoria in 2014, and batted .248 with six home runs and 49 RBIs in 98 games. He spent the 2015 season with the
Palm Beach Cardinals The Palm Beach Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Rog ...
of the
Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
Florida State League and compiled a .219 batting average with eight home runs and 51 RBIs in 108 games. He won the 2015 minor leagues Rawlings Gold Glove Award for catchers. Kelly was ranked the fourth-best prospect in the Cardinals system in 2016 by ''Baseball America''. He began the 2016 season with the
Springfield Cardinals The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They compete as a member of the Texas League's North Division. The Cardinals began play in 2005. The team is owned by the 11-time Major League Baseball ...
of the
Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
. He was selected to the 2016
Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
All-Star Game and to the 2016 All-Star Futures Game. After batting .287 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI in 64 games for Springfield, Kelly was promoted to the
Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbir ...
of the
Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
Pacific Coast League on July 11, 2016.


Major leagues

The Cardinals purchased Kelly's contract on September 4, 2016, promoting him to the major leagues as part of
September callup A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...
s. In 96 games between Springfield and Memphis prior to his call up he compiled a .289 batting average/.343 on-base percentage/.395 slugging percentage with six home runs and 32 RBIs. He made his major league debut on September 5 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his first at bat, he hit a
line drive In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...
double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...
in the eighth inning. He then scored his first run as the Cardinals won 12–6. Kelly appeared in 10 games with St. Louis in 2016, batting .154 with one RBI. After the season, the Cardinals assigned Kelly to the
Glendale Desert Dogs The Glendale Desert Dogs are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility of the Chicago White ...
of the
Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...
(AFL). In 21 games for Glendale, he batted .286 with 3 home runs and 18 RBIs. The Cardinals also named Kelly their 2016 Minor League Player of the Year. Prior to 2017, ''Baseball America'' ranked Kelly the Cardinals' third-best prospect and best defensive catcher. He returned to Memphis to begin 2017. On April 11, he hit multiple home runs against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. (Note: May need to click "View More Bio Info+" for some of the information.) He was named the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month for May after batting .381 with a .447 on-base percentage. He had a game-ending RBI single against the
Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named ...
on July 14, his 23rd birthday. In 68 games for Memphis, he posted a .283 batting average with ten home runs and 41 RBIs. He was recalled to St. Louis on July 21, replacing Eric Fryer, who was
designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...
, as the backup to
Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamín Molina (; born July 13, 1982), nicknamed "Yadi", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely considered one of the grea ...
. In the game that day, he had a two-RBI double as St. Louis beat the Chicago Cubs 11–4. He spent the remainder of the season with the Cardinals. In 34 games for St. Louis he batted .174/.240/.217.
MLB.com MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...
ranked Kelly as St. Louis's third-best prospect going into the 2018 season, while ''Baseball America'' ranked him as St. Louis's best defensive catcher. He began the season with Memphis and received his first 2018 promotion to the major leagues on May 6 when Molina was placed on the disabled list. However, Kelly was placed on the disabled list on May 17 with a right hamstring sprain. He was not injured long, returning to the active roster on May 26. On June 4, he was optioned to Memphis, as the Cardinals elected to keep
Francisco Peña Francisco Peña (Pegna) (born at Villarroya de los Pinares, near Saragossa, about 1540; died at Rome, in 1612) was a Spanish canon lawyer. Life He devoted himself to the study of law at Valencia. Later Philip II of Spain appointed him auditor ...
as Molina's backup. In 83 games for Memphis, he batted .269 with 7 home runs and 41 RBIs. He was again recalled by St. Louis when rosters expanded on September 1. In 19 games for St. Louis, he batted .114 with 0 home runs and 3 RBI.


Arizona Diamondbacks

On December 5, 2018, the Cardinals traded Kelly, Luke Weaver, Andy Young, and a draft pick to the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
in exchange for first baseman
Paul Goldschmidt Paul Edward Goldschmidt (born September 10, 1987) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Lightly recruited out of The Woodlands High School in The Woodlands, Texas, Golds ...
. Prior to the 2019 season, ''Baseball America'' ranked Kelly the Diamondbacks' fourth-best prospect and best defensive catcher. The Diamondbacks started the season with three catchers. Manager
Torey Lovullo Salvatore Anthony "Torey" Lovullo ( ; born July 25, 1965) is an American professional baseball manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB), appointed November 4, 2016. Lovullo served as the first base coach for the Toron ...
hoped that Kelly, Alex Avila, and
John Ryan Murphy John Ryan Murphy (born May 13, 1991) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates ...
would be a "three-headed monster" at the position. His first game with the Diamondbacks started on March 29 against the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
, a game that lasted for six hours and five minutes, setting a record for the longest ever played at
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ...
. Kelly had a pinch-hit RBI in the top of the 13th, helping Arizona win 5–4. Against the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
on April 6, he had three RBI, including a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Arizona a 5–4 victory. On May 4, he hit his first career home run, the second of back-to-back homers against Kyle Freeland as Arizona beat the Colorado Rockies 9–2. The Diamondbacks designated Murphy for assignment on May 25, leaving Kelly and Avila as the team's main catchers. On July 3, Kelly's home run against
Kenley Jansen Kenley Geronimo Jansen (born September 30, 1987) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. Signed by the ...
put the Diamondbacks ahead in the ninth, though they eventually lost 5–4 to the Dodgers in 10 innings. His three-run home run against John Means on July 24 helped the Diamondbacks beat the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
5–2. He had his first multi-home run game on August 9, tying a game against the Dodgers with a two-run blast in the ninth inning and hitting a solo shot in the 11th to secure a 3–2 victory. In 2019, Kelly batted .245/.348/.478 with 18 home runs and 47 RBIs over 111 games. His 18 home runs tied
Miguel Montero Miguel Angel Montero Fernandez (born July 9, 1983) is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Washington Nationals ...
's Diamondbacks record for the most home runs hit by a catcher in a season. The 2020 season did not start until July 24 due to the impact of COVID-19. On August 9, after starting pitcher
Madison Bumgarner Madison Kyle Bumgarner (born August 1, 1989), commonly known by his nickname, "MadBum", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he pitched for the San Francisco Giants ...
struggled and lasted only two innings, Kelly pitched a scoreless inning during a blowout loss to the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
. Kelly appeared in a majority of games at the catching position in 2020, splitting time with Stephen Vogt but getting most of the September starts. In 39 games, Kelly batted .221 with five home runs and 19 RBIs. Kelly began the 2021 season hitting .338 with 6 home runs before being placed on the injured list (IL) on May 17 with a toe fracture. He was activated on May 25. However, he only batted .171 over his next 22 games. On June 19, Kelly suffered another fracture, this time to his wrist, and was once again placed on the IL. He returned on July 30. On January 13, 2023, Kelly agreed to a one-year, $4.275 million contract with the Diamondbacks, avoiding salary arbitration. On March 20, Kelly left a spring training game after he was hit in the arm by a pitch from
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
reliever
Gregory Santos Gregory Omar Santos (born August 28, 1999) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the Boston Red Sox as an international free agent in 2015. He made his MLB debut in 20 ...
. The next day, he was diagnosed with a fractured right forearm.


Personal life

Kelly and his wife, Eloise, married in 2020. A golfer, Kelly participated in the 2020 Waste Management Pro Am. His younger brother, Parker, played college baseball for the University of Oregon and was drafted by the Cardinals in the 20th round of the 2018 MLB draft. Parker played for two seasons in the minor leagues for the Cardinals before moving on to independent league baseball.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Carson 1994 births Living people Sportspeople from Beaverton, Oregon Baseball players from Chicago Baseball players from Oregon Major League Baseball catchers St. Louis Cardinals players Arizona Diamondbacks players Johnson City Cardinals players Peoria Chiefs players State College Spikes players Palm Beach Cardinals players Springfield Cardinals players Memphis Redbirds players