A late minor leaguer → growing up in the KBO league → debuting in the major leagues late at the age of 30 → first pick in Arizona → starting pitcher for the U.S. national team in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final → an ace that juniors should see and learn from.
If you were to pick a player who created the true KBO League reverse export myth, Meryl Kelly (35, Arizona) would now be ranked first. Arizona coach Torrey Lovello (58) recommended Kelly as an example of a pitcher young pitchers should watch and learn from.
MLB.com, the official homepage of the Major League Baseball, published an interview between Kelly and Rublow, saying, “Kelly is leading the Arizona starting rotation by setting an example with 10 strikeouts.”
Kelly started the 2023 Major League home game against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, USA on the 6th and earned his third win of the season with 4 hits (1 home run), 1 walk, 10 strikeouts and 1 run in 7 innings. As a result, Kelly’s performance was 7 games, 3 wins, 3 losses, an average ERA of 2.75, and 40 strikeouts in 39⅓ innings. Along with Jack Gallen (28, 4 wins, 1 loss, 2.53 ERA), he took the mound in the most games and took nearly half of the team’s wins (18 wins). It is an axis of Arizona’s one-two punch, both in name and reality.
Thanks to the two, Arizona was able to release Madison Bumgarner (34), who was brought in three years ago with the expectation of an ace role. He signed a 5-year, $90 million (approximately 119.4 billion won) contract, and the contract period was until the 2024 season, but when he recorded an average ERA of 10.26 in 4 games this season, he saw no room for a rebound.
As a result, the age of Arizona’s starters has rapidly declined. Kelly and Galen were followed by players in their mid-20s, including Rein Nelson (25), Tommy Henry (26), and Brandon Padat (25). They are potential players, but there are always ups and downs until experience is accumulated. MLB.com also worried, “The need for Kelly and Gallen to continue to catch outs and digest innings is increasing until the three players gain more experience.”
However, the command tower was not too worried because Kelly and Galen were there. “I don’t want to put more pressure on them,” said Rublelow. I think it will be a really important day for our club,” he said calmly.
I just hoped to grow by watching and learning from the pitching of my seniors step by step. “All I want from the three young players is to see and learn how Kelly and Galen prepare when they start, what plans they go in, and how they work out,” Rublow said.
All of this would have been difficult to imagine in 2014, before Kelly came to Korea. Back then, Kelly was one of those common minor leaguers who didn’t make their major league debut until the age of 26. After coming to Korea in 2015, he went 48-32 in 119 games for 4 years, recording an average ERA of 3.86, and made a 2+2 year contract with Arizona for up to 14.5 million dollars (approximately 19.2 billion won).
Arizona’s expectations for Kelly, who made his major league debut at the age of 30, were a maximum of three starts. However, based on the experience of the KBO League, Kelly played the most innings (183⅓ innings) and won the most wins (13 wins) from his first year, effectively serving as the first starter. After that, he showed a steady appearance every year, eventually fulfilling all four-year contracts including a two-year club option, and even signed a two-year extension of $18 million (approximately 23.9 billion won) ahead of the 2022 season. Earlier this year, he was selected as the U.S. representative at the WBC and stood proudly on the mound in the final. 안전놀이터
With her wealth of experience, Kelly set an example for others. The Arizona seniors and juniors exchanged many stories and boasted a strong camaraderie even without her manager speaking separately. “I know that the three young players have more than expected,” Kelly encouraged. “I’ll do anything I can to help. They know I’m someone who’s open to any kind of question. Young players need to feel a little more comfortable and have confidence. I’m here for them.” expressed his mind.