Antwone Kelly

A 5-foot-10 Aruban righty, Kelly boasts an impressive combination of fastball velocity (sits 97 mph, touches 101 mph) and control (7.7 BB% in 2025), which led to the Pirates adding him to the 40-man roster this offseason. Kelly dominated at High-A (23.0 K-BB%) and was quite good at Double-A after a midseason promotion, logging a 3.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 46:16 K:BB in 48 innings over 11 starts. His 70-grade fastball is his only plus pitch, and while his changeup is good enough, he lacks a standout breaking ball. Kelly, who doesn't turn 23 until September, will continue to refine his craft in the upper minors in 2026. He could be a mid-rotation starter if his slider comes along with the fallback option of late-inning reliever. Read Past Outlooks