With the 47th overall pick in the second-round, the White Sox selected right-handed pitcher Jared Kelley from Refugio High School in Texas.
Ranked 12th in this year’s draft class by MLB Pipeline, Kelley entered the 2020 season as the top prep pitcher in the country and has a lot that he brings to the table. This past spring, he compiled 34 strikeouts over just 12 innings for Refugio before COVID-19 cancelled the rest of play. In addition, he was named Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season and finished his prep career with a 32-3 record, 0.60 ERA, and 440 strikeouts in 199.2 innings pitched.
Kelley has no shortage of velocity with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s, touching as high as 98 mph. He also has a filthy plus-changeup with plenty of sink, and a slider that is still a work in progress but could develop into an effective third pitch. His easy delivery and good command lets him locate pitches with ease.
First Look
MLB Pipeline Grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55
Draft Rankings: MLB Pipeline: 12 | Baseball America: 12 | FanGraphs: 20
Pros vs. Cons
The Good: With Kelley, his delivery is so effortless for it to translate into a deadly fastball with running action. His advanced change-up that just fades on hitters, repeatable delivery, and great command of his pitches are all things to love. Having fallen to the second round, the White Sox claim a pitcher who many believed was in consideration for the 11th overall pick just last week. Two first-round quality picks in one draft? Not too shabby.
The Not-So Good: Kelley really only has two solid pitches at the moment. He will need to continue developing his slider to add a third weapon to his repertoire. If he can do that, he has a real shot at being a rotation piece. Another concern to keep in mind is that Kelley is committed to play at the University of Texas. Some believe it will be hard to sway him and the signability issues are why we’ve seen him fall this far. I still find it hard to believe the Sox would take him if they weren’t willing to meet his asking price or at least come close to it.
Why it makes sense
Notably in last year’s draft, prep arms like Matthew Thompson (2nd) and Andrew Dalquist (3rd round) joined the organization early on. The addition of Kelley continues the trend of acquiring young high school arms in the upper rounds to solidify the farm. With Crochet and now Kelley members of the White Sox, the pitching side of things has received a considerable boost.
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