Carson Kelly
| Carson Kelly | |
|---|---|
Kelly with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021 | |
| Chicago Cubs – No. 15 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: July 14, 1994 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 5, 2016, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Batting average | .229 |
| Home runs | 71 |
| Runs batted in | 257 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
Carson Franklin Kelly (born July 14, 1994) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers.
Born in Chicago, Kelly was raised in Beaverton, Oregon. After a standout amateur career at Westview High School, he was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2012 MLB draft. By his second professional season, he had switched from playing third base to catching. In the coming years, Baseball America rated him among the Cardinals' top prospects, twice naming him St. Louis's best defensive catcher. Kelly made his MLB debut in 2016 and saw limited playing time before being traded to the Diamondbacks after the 2018 season. He became Arizona's starting catcher in 2019, tying Miguel Montero's Diamondbacks record for the most home runs hit by a catcher in a season with 18.
After being released by Arizona during the 2023 season, Kelly signed with Detroit before being traded to Texas at the 2024 trade deadline. He signed with Chicago as a free agent following the 2024 season.