Shawn Kelley, Relief Pitcher


Date of Birth: 4/26/1984
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky
College: Austin Peay State University

Shawn Kelley, relief pitcher, had Tommy John surgery in 2003 while at Austin Peay State University. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2007 and he pitched in their minor league system in 2007 and 2008.

Kelley pitched in 41 games with the Mariners in 2009 and he had a 4.50 ERA in 46.0 innings. The following season, he spent time on the DL which limited his playing time to 22 games. In 2011, he was again on the DL, pitching in just 10 games with the Mariners.

The Mariners traded Kelley to the New York Yankees in February, 2013. He pitched in 57 games in 2013 and he had a 4.39 ERA in 53.1 innings. He had similar numbers in 2014, finishing with a 4.53 ERA in 59 games.

Kelley was traded to the San Diego Padres on December 29, 2014. He finished the 2015 season with a career low ERA of 2.45 in 51.1 innings in 53 games.

Kelley signed with the Washington Nationals on December 11, 2015. He had career highs in games played (67), innings pitched (58.0), and strikeouts (80 to 11 walks) in 2016. He finished the season with 7 saves and a 2.64 ERA. In the postseason, he pitched 1.2 innings in 2 games and he gave up one hit and no runs. He struck out three batters and walked none.

Kelley finished the 2017 season with 3 wins and 2 losses, 4 saves, 25 strikeouts to 11 walks, and a 7.27 ERA in 26.0 innings in 33 games. He didn't pitch in the postseason.

The Nationals traded Kelley to the Oakland Athletics on August 5, 2018. He finished the 2018 season with 2 wins and no losses, 50 strikeouts to 11 walks, and a 2.94 ERA in 35 games with the Nationals and 19 games with the Athletics. In the postseason, he pitched 1.0 innings in 1 game and he gave up 1 hit.

Kelley became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He signed with the Texas Rangers on January 29, 2019. He finished the 2019 season with 5 wins and 2 losses, 11 saves, 43 strikeouts to 11 walks, and a 4.94 ERA in 47.1 innings in 50 games.

Kelley became a free agent on November 1, 2019. He hasn't played professional baseball since 2019.

Career pitching statistics for Kelley through 2019 include:

  • 493 games played
  • 464.2 innings pitched
  • 32-25 win-loss record
  • 26 saves
  • 521 strikeouts to 141 walks
  • 3.80 ERA

Personal Life

Kelley earned a B.A. in political science from Austin Peay State University.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Shawn Kelley
MiLB - Shawn Kelley