Merrill Kelly #29

Married to Bre…has a daughter, Hadley... Attended Yavapai College in Prescott, Ariz. (2008-09) and Arizona State University (2010)…was teammates with the D-backs' Kole Calhoun at both schools...Was 15-1 in two seasons with Yavapai...Helped the Sun Devils reach the College World Series in 2010, going 10-3 with a 4.23 ERA...Was selected in the First-Year Player Draft on three occasions: 2007 by the Orioles (37th round; did not sign), 2009 by the Indians (22nd round; did not sign) and 2010 by the Rays (8th round)...is an avid sneaker enthusiast and estimates he owns approximately 100 pairs of shoes...His favorite pairs of shoes are his Air Jordan 1 Retro Off-White (bottom left) and the Air Jordan 3 Retro Seoul (bottom right)...For the 2019 season, he had a pair of Nike Kobe X Blue Lagoon sneakers turned into a pair of baseball spikes to wear with the team's teal uniforms.

2020

Limited to just five starts before undergoing season-ending thoracic outlet surgery…was 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA (9 ER in 31.1 IP)...At the time of his injury, ranked among NL leaders in fewest walks per 9.0 IP (2nd, 1.44), strikeout-to-walk ratio (6th, 5.80), wins (T-5th, 3), ERA (10th, 2.59) and WHIP (10th, 0.99)...Allowed one run or fewer in three of his five starts...Averaged 1.44 walks per 9.0 IP, down from 2.80 in 2019...Was scratched from his start on Aug. 24 and placed on the 10-day injured list (right shoulder impingement).

2019

Went 13-14 with a 4.42 ERA (90 ER in 183.1 IP), .260 opponent average and 158 strikeouts in 32 starts in his first Major League season with Arizona...Led Major League rookies in strikeouts, ranked second in innings, was tied for second in wins and ranked fourth in ERA…was the second D-back rookie to lead the Majors in strikeouts (also: Brandon Webb in 2003)...Was the 17th rookie hurler since 2000 with 32 starts in a rookie season, and the first since Kenta Maeda/LAD in 2016...His 158 strikeouts were second all-time by a D-backs rookie, behind only Webb in 2003 (172)…also ranked second among D-backs rookies all-time in innings pitched to Wade Miley (194.2 in 2012). 

2018

Led the SK Wyverns to the 2018 Korean Series title, going 12-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 28 starts of the KBO League...Made 2 starts in the Korean Series vs. Doosan Bears, earning the victory in Game 3…started Game 6 and held the Bears hitless in the first 5.1 innings...Ranked among KBO starting pitchers in strikeouts per 9.0 IP (2nd), WHIP (1.26, 6th), ERA (7th), and wins (8th).

2013

Split the season between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham, earning a June promotion…in a combined 28 games (26 starts), went 13-10 with a 3.64 ERA (158.1-IP, 64-ER)…dropped his ERA by early a run in Durham, from 4.15 in Montgomery to 3.19…ranked 3rd among Rays farmhands with 13 wins and 5th with 111 SO…pitched for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League…in 9 apps in the AFL, went 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA (11-IP, 6-ER).

2012

Compiled a 3.28 ERA (88.1-IP, 35-ER) in 32 apps with Montgomery…went 2-3 with a 3.21 ERA (42-IP, 15-IP) in 9 games as a starter…went 6-0 with a 3.88 ERA (46.1-IP, 20-ER) in 23 relief apps.

2011

In his first full season, finished with the 9thbest ERA in the Rays organization at 3.28 (129-IP, 47-ER)…led the Stone Crabs with 129 IP and was 2nd with 8 wins, 1 behind Alex Colome.

2010

Appeared in 12 games between Short-A Hudson Valley (7 apps) and Class-A Bowling Green (5 apps)…allowed 5 ER in 21.1 IP for Hudson Valley, walking 5 and striking out 19.

2021

Named the D-backs’ Most Valuable Pitcher by the Arizona chapter of the BBWAA after going 7-11 with a 4.44 ERA (78 ER in 158.0 IP) and 130 strikeouts in his third season with the D-backs...12 strikeouts on May 20 vs. Dodgers were a career high…became one of six D-backs pitchers with 12+ strikeouts and no walks (last: Patrick Corb2in in 2018) and one of four overall to do so as an opponent @ Dodger Stadium (also: Curt Schilling/ARI, Ray Sadecki/SF and Robbie Ray/ARI)... Had a career-best five-game winning streak from June 21-July 24.