_(cropped).jpg)
Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Carson Kelly
Carson Franklin Kelly (born July 14, 1994) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers.
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. By his second professional season, he had switched from playing third base 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's Diamondbacks record for the most home runs hit by a catcher in a season with 18.
After being released by Arizona during the 2023 season, Kelly signed with Detroit before being traded to Texas at the 2024 trade deadline. He signed with Chicago as a free agent following the 2024 season.
Carson Franklin Kelly was born on July 14, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Mike and Traci, are Chicago natives. Mike worked as a Global Brand Marketing Director for Nike. 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, although he and his family also briefly lived in Toronto around when Kelly was 12.
At the age of four, Kelly started playing baseball. He also played hockey 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 and also pitched. In 2011, his junior year, 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 and an under-18 international tournament.
The St. Louis Cardinals selected Kelly as a third baseman in the second round, 86th overall, of the 2012 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. Though Kelly had committed to the University of Oregon to play college baseball for the Oregon Ducks, 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 of the Rookie-level Appalachian League, batting .225 with nine home runs and 25 runs batted in (RBIs) in 56 games. In 2013, he was promoted to the Peoria Chiefs of the Single–A Midwest League. He struggled with Peoria, and was demoted to the State College Spikes of the Low–A New York–Penn League. In 113 games between the two clubs he batted .257 with 6 home runs and 45 RBIs.
In 2013, Kelly and Gary LaRocque, the Cardinals' director of player development, discussed his switching positions to catcher. 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 of the High–A 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 of the Double–A Texas League. He was selected to the 2016 Texas League 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 of the Triple–A Pacific Coast League on July 11, 2016.
Hub AI
Carson Kelly AI simulator
(@Carson Kelly_simulator)
Carson Kelly
Carson Franklin Kelly (born July 14, 1994) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers.
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. By his second professional season, he had switched from playing third base 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's Diamondbacks record for the most home runs hit by a catcher in a season with 18.
After being released by Arizona during the 2023 season, Kelly signed with Detroit before being traded to Texas at the 2024 trade deadline. He signed with Chicago as a free agent following the 2024 season.
Carson Franklin Kelly was born on July 14, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Mike and Traci, are Chicago natives. Mike worked as a Global Brand Marketing Director for Nike. 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, although he and his family also briefly lived in Toronto around when Kelly was 12.
At the age of four, Kelly started playing baseball. He also played hockey 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 and also pitched. In 2011, his junior year, 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 and an under-18 international tournament.
The St. Louis Cardinals selected Kelly as a third baseman in the second round, 86th overall, of the 2012 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. Though Kelly had committed to the University of Oregon to play college baseball for the Oregon Ducks, 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 of the Rookie-level Appalachian League, batting .225 with nine home runs and 25 runs batted in (RBIs) in 56 games. In 2013, he was promoted to the Peoria Chiefs of the Single–A Midwest League. He struggled with Peoria, and was demoted to the State College Spikes of the Low–A New York–Penn League. In 113 games between the two clubs he batted .257 with 6 home runs and 45 RBIs.
In 2013, Kelly and Gary LaRocque, the Cardinals' director of player development, discussed his switching positions to catcher. 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 of the High–A 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 of the Double–A Texas League. He was selected to the 2016 Texas League 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 of the Triple–A Pacific Coast League on July 11, 2016.