Fastball Command Helps Pirates’ Antwone Kelly Take Next Step
In recent years, the Pirates have built a reputation for developing pitchers. Righthander Antwone Kelly might be their next arm worth watching.
The 21-year-old posted a 4.43 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 69 innings for Low-A Bradenton last year.
After looking back on last year, Kelly realized that he would need to stay on the field if he wanted to take that next step in his development.
“I think the biggest thing was to stay healthy,” Kelly said. “Last year I had an oblique injury in the middle of the season, so this offseason I worked a lot on that.”
At High-A Greensboro this season, Kelly is off to a great start and credits improvements to his sequencing for his success.
Adding a couple of ticks to the fastball hasn’t hurt either. He hit triple digits in a start against Jersey Shore earlier in the year. Kelly averaged 95 mph with Bradenton in 2024, topping out at 98.7 mph.
In the end, it’s not the added velocity that Kelly feels like has been the biggest growth in his game. It’s his improved command.
“I learned how to pitch. I learned how to use my fastball,” Kelly said. “So, that was my biggest thing. I always could throw hard but couldn’t throw where I wanted to.
“Now I learned how to spot it where I want to and have more control of it and control my body.”
His improved fastball command contributed to a fine April with Greensboro. In his first five starts, Kelly walked five batters while striking out 21 in 17 innings to go with a 3.18 ERA.
The Pirates signed Kelly out of Aruba in 2021. Now, in a system flush with pitching talent, he has taken steps toward joining the most notable names in the organization.
