It wasn’t long ago that the Mountaineers recruited a lefty-hitting infielder from the Pittsburgh area named JJ Wetherholt and watched him blossom into one of the best players in college baseball, the seventh overall draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals and, this season, a leading candidate in the NL Rookie of the Year race. Kelly, also a Pittsburgh kid, has followed a similar trajectory in his two years in Morgantown. Like Wetherholt, Kelly arrived on campus with some promise but hardly outlandish hype. Then he immediately played his way into the starting lineup, showcasing rare defensive versatility by bouncing between catcher and second base while making cameos in the outfield.
After holding his own offensively as a freshman (.797 OPS), Kelly’s bat exploded as a sophomore (1.204 OPS) while he continued to demonstrate the athleticism and aptitude to handle multiple positions around the diamond. He bats second for the Mountaineers, and we’ve seen him make four starts behind the plate and three at second during the tournament. This rare combination of skills has skyrocketed Kelly’s prospect stock, putting him on the short list of candidates to become the first overall pick in the 2027 MLB Draft. That’s a long ways away, of course; for now, Kelly can focus on leading this ultra-fun West Virginia squad further into the postseason than the program has ever gone.