The Pittsburgh Pirates have a deep core of pitching prospects throughout the organization, and Antwone Kelly was one of the names that really took a step forward in 2025.

Signed out of Aruba, Kelly saw his fastball take a full step forward, sitting in the upper 90s and touching triple-digits regularly. That helped set the stage for a season in which he reached Double-A Altoona, posting a 3.02 ERA (3.38 xFIP) while also career highs in innings pitched (107 1/3 IP) and strikeouts (116).

Kelly, 22, ditched his cutter, relying on the fastball, slider, and change-up, the latter of which is his best secondary pitch. He’s not unlike how Bubba Chandler was a year ago in a sense, a right-handed pitcher with a really good fastball, a strong change-up, and a slider that could use some refining. 

The development of the slider will go a long way in determining if Kelly is best utilized out of the bullpen or if he will find his potential as a starting pitcher. 

Added to the 40-man roster this offseason, it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see Kelly begin 2026 in Triple-A, with a major league debut sometime late in the season. On the safer side, early 2027 might make more sense, especially if he is going to break in as a starter.Â