Casey
Kelley

2014 All-Sunflower League - Second Team

6/5/14 - RHP/OF Casey Kelley (’15 Shawnee Mission Northwest) who we have seem mostly in the low-to-mid 80’s mph range on the mound bumped it up a notch recording an 88 today.  Kelley also threw 88 from the outfield.

4/10/13 - We’ve reported on Kelley many times throughout the summer, fall and winter.  Two things are for certain with Kelley: he’s an exceptional athlete and student.  What college coaches and scouts are trying to sort through is where he will end up at the next level – in the outfield or the mound, or both, as he shows flashes of special things at both.  On Thursday, the 6-foot-1, 160-pound Kelley once again showed quick feet and exchanges in pre-game work in the outfield making strong throws.  At the plate he stood out, lining out to second base, ripping a double down the left-field line and driving a ball into left-center field for another double showing bat speed and good plate coverage.  Kelley plays for the 68’s Inside Sports Cavaliers in the summer.

2/17/14 - The very athletic 6-foot-1, 165-pound Kelley throws from a ¾ using a drop and drive type of delivery.  His fastball ranged from 82-86 mph with his command of it improving significantly towards the end of his bullpen.  His 70-71 curveball is sharp at times and he also showed a 71 change-up.  Kelley is also a rock star in the classroom with a 4.80 GPA, 3/402 class rank and 31 ACT.

2/17/14 - Kelley is a very athletic 6-foot-1, 165-pound right-hand hitting outfielder.  During outfield defense work he showed quick feet and exchanges and threw up to 85 mph using long high ¾ arm action. He also worked out at shortstop during infield drills, something we had not seen him do at previous events.  He demonstrated good infield actions and made strong, accurate throws with good carry to them with a top throw clocked at threw 83 mph.  He has a tall set-up at the plate with a minimal, smooth hand load and a very short, controlled stride.  His bat path is fairly short and he has a level bat path, good extension and balance throughout his swing.  Kelly recorded the highest exit velocity in camp, both states, at 92 mph and ran a 4.26 home to 1B from the right side.  He’s a fast twitch athlete with tools and a frame with plenty of room to add weight to.

10/19/13 - Kelley is a prime athlete with a 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame.  During batting practice he showed a balanced set-up, smooth load, short stride and excellent balance throughout his swing.  Kelley has a gap-to-gap approach with a short level bat path and good extension.  His exit velocity registered 92 mph on the radar gun, the highest of anyone in camp.  In game 2, he went 1-for-3 with a stolen base.  In the outfield he showed quick footwork and clean exchanges.  His arm action is long and loose and his throws have carry to them.  His OF throwing velocity was 83 mph.  He ran an impressive 4.27 home to 1B, the 2^nd best time in camp.  Kelley has more work to do to become a highly skilled baseball player, but his raw tools across the board stood out among players at this event.  His freak-ish talents aren’t limited to the baseball field either as he currently holds a 4.83 GPA and is ranked 3^rd in his class of 403 students.

10/19/13 - Kelley was likely the best overall athlete in the camp - 6-foot-1, 165-pounds of fast-twitch muscle fiber packed into a baseball uniform.  On the mound, the right-hander pitches from a near overt-the-top slot with some effort.  He struggled in his one inning of work, but at times made pitches that caused some “wow’s” from behind home plate.  His fastball clocked in at the low-to-mid 80’s – at times flat, at times with late life.  His breaking ball was 67-69 mph with a couple of them buckling the knees of right-handed hitters.  He also showed feel for a 69-71 change-up.  The pure stuff is good now and will get better, however it’s a matter of his command improving for him to advance into the elite category.  Being such a tremendous athlete, I wouldn’t bet against this happening.

9/8/13 - Kelley is a 6-foot, 170-pound RHP/IF/OF regarded by many as one of the better 2015 prospects in the KC area and a candidate to be a 2-way player at the college level.  We saw him throw 2 innings working 83-85mph (86 tops and six 85's in a row in inning one) with his FB and a 74-75 late breaking slurve.  He throws with long arm action in the back and a high 3/4 release.  In fairness, we saw him in his 3rd game in 2-days (both days were 95+ degrees on University of Kansas' field turf) making a number of throws defensively before pitching.  It would be interesting to see him in a pitching-only situation which we plan on doing next week at the KC Royals Scout Team mid-week workouts.