2025 South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 96: Jared Kelley
At this point, we’re praying for a Coffey transformation
Jared Kelley
Right-Handed Relief Pitcher
6´3´´
230 pounds
Age: 23
2021 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 5
2022 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 9
2023 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 15
2024 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 45
2023 High Level Birmingham (AA)
Age relative to high level -2.5 years
SSS rank among all right-handed relievers in the system: 17
Overall 2024 stats 3-2 ⚾️ 30 games (15 finishes) ⚾️ 5 SV ⚾️ 52 1⁄3 IP ⚾️ 4.47 ERA ⚾️ 1.739 WHIP ⚾️ 43 K ⚾️ 36 BB
The slip of Jared Kelley from surefire starting prospect to marginal bullpen option speaks to the folly of player development, whether or not you hail from the same hometown as Nolan Ryan and throw just as hard.
Considered a coup to be signed out of the second round in 2020, given his commitment to his home-state University of Texas and clear first round talent, it’s been a steady slide for Kelley since. As recently as last year, he was still a Top 50 org talent in our eyes, and the third-best righty reliever.
After a disappointing repeat season in High-A and Double-A, with improved peripherals that seem only to highlight how horrible 2023 was for the youngster, Kelley now sits as just the 17th-best relief arm in the system.
His season was not without merit, it being the first year of Kelley’s career spent fully in relief. The White Sox not only put him in the pen, but into a back-end role, as he closed out 15 games with five saves, a hold, and two blown saves.
The peripherals are a bit of a mixed bag, however, as Kelley’s still-inflated numbers come despite a dramatic BABIP drop from 2023 to 2024. If there’s anything to hang some hope on, it’s a jump in ground-ball rate last summer, as well as a FIP/xFIP that might indicate true progress; he’s keeping the ball in the park as well as ever. It’s not an outrageous notion that Kelley, still just 23 and without a lot of arm wear, can flip the same switch we just saw happen in 2024 with Adisyn Coffey.
Kelley’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Durability 63 (-1 from 2024)
Strikeouts 42 (-9)
Hittable 38 (-4)
vsPower 38 (-4)
Walks 16 (+2)
K/BB 14 (0)
Team Winning Pct. .365
As we wrote last year, Kelley is still too young for epitaphs, but at this point the hope is slim he puts enough together to merit a spot in the majors. If his FIP and ground ball progress aren’t telling us lies, and if a sophomore season of sole flamethrowing out of the pen helps turn a corner, Kelley could punch a ticket to Triple-A by season’s end.
2025 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox Prospects
100. Cole McConnell, CF
99. Drake Logan, LF
98. Marcelo Alcala, RF
97. Lyle Miller-Green, 1B
96. Jared Kelley, RHRP