In a recent interview, Boston Red Sox right-handed reliever Zack Kelly discussed adding a two-seam fastball to his pitching repertoire during the offseason. Kelly, who made his major league debut in 2022, mentioned that the pitch was inspired by his experience with the pitch in MLB The Show video game. He has used the pitch in both of his spring training appearances and is working on improving and integrating it with his other pitches.
Despite a solid 2024 season, Kelly struggled with his command at times, leading to a higher ERA in September. He used the frustration from those struggles as motivation during the offseason and focused on staying healthy after undergoing elbow surgery in 2023. Kelly pitched the most innings he has since 2019, demonstrating his commitment to remaining on the field for the full season.
As he looks ahead to the 2025 season, Kelly is focused on improving his command and utilizing his diverse pitch arsenal effectively. He now throws five pitches, including the newly added two-seam fastball, and aims to use it to open up different parts of the plate for his other pitches. He believes that the pitch will be useful in stealing strikes and changing the way batters approach his repertoire. Despite his success in developing the pitch, Kelly admits that he no longer plays MLB The Show frequently due to his responsibilities as a father and his late nights after games.
Source
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image of the presented article.
