Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Every Draft has its share of pop-up prospects, players who came into the spring without much track record or history in front of scouts. Kelly might be Exhibit A in California for this category as he wasn't really seen on the summer showcase circuit and was lightly recruited by colleges. But when the one-time quarterback at Tustin High School stopped playing football as a senior to focus on pitching, his stuff took off, leading to scouts running to Santa Ana, Calif., in a hurry.

Kelly has already seen his velocity increase this year and it's easy to dream on more to come, given his athleticism and 6-foot-4 frame. He's been up to 93-94 mph at times this year, typically sitting a touch below that with his heater. But his calling card is really his plus curve. It's one of the best breaking balls of any prep pitcher in the class, thrown with high spin rates, and he commands and manipulates it well.

Having split his focus between two sports until this year, Kelly is a bit raw and has been inconsistent at times. But the combination of upside and athleticism is sure to excite teams in the top several rounds. He'll stay local and head to UC Irvine if the Draft doesn't work out.

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

Kelly has a track record of being a pop-up prospect. After three years of playing football -- he was Tustin High School's quarterback -- and baseball, he gave up the gridiron to focus on pitching as a senior and saw his stuff tick up, landing him firmly in MLB Pipeline's 2022 Draft Top 250. He wasn't taken until Round 20 and headed to UC Irvine for college. He managed just 20 1/3 nondescript innings over his first two years as he fought through injuries and took one redshirt. He got off to a ho-hum start in the Anteaters' bullpen to start 2025, but a move to the rotation has been a game-changer, allowing him to rush up Draft boards for a second time.

Athletic on the mound, Kelly is a 6-foot-5 right-hander who started trending up when he became a starter in mid-March and really put his name on the map when he outpitched UC Santa Barbara's Tyler Bremner in his second start. Kelly's fastball sits around 92-93 mph and he can crank it up to 96 at times. But his best pitch has always been his curve, especially when he can land it for strikes. It's a nasty 11-to-5 breaker thrown in the upper 70s that routinely registers over 3,000 rpm and flashes plus. He has a low-80s changeup that can be effective as well.

While Kelly's strike-throwing has been inconsistent, scouts have seen better quality strikes since the move to the rotation. If he can finish the year strongly as Irvine's ace, he could hear his name called in the top four rounds.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Kelly was a two-sport standout who didn't stop playing football until his senior year of high school. He was on scouts' radars in southern California but headed to pitch at UC Irvine. Although Injuries interrupted his progress over his two first years with the Anteaters, a chance to move into their rotation in March of his junior year allowed him to take off. He landed in the fourth round of the 2025 Draft, and while he didn't pitch officially after signing, he got in some good work during instructs.

An athletic 6-foot-5 right-hander, Kelly entered pro ball with three pitches and might now have four at his disposal. The Rockies are hoping there might be another tier of velocity to reach with his fastball, which currently sits in the 91-94 mph range, occasionally touching 96. It has some good metrics with some ride and finish to the pitch. But Kelly's really all about the spin. His upper-70s curve has 11-to-5 shape and regularly tops 3,000 rpm, and he can miss bats with his low-80s changeup as well. During instructs, he found a slider grip that works for him, giving him a fourth pitch that could be Major League average.

Kelly started throwing better quality strikes when he became a starter during his junior year, and the hope is that trend continues. He has the pitch mix to start and will be given the opportunity to stick in a rotation if he can hold the zone consistently throughout his outings. 

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Kelly has a track record of being a pop-up prospect. After three years of playing football -- he was Tustin High School's quarterback -- and baseball, he gave up the gridiron to focus on pitching as a senior and saw his stuff tick up, landing him firmly in MLB Pipeline's 2022 Draft Top 250. He wasn't taken until Round 20 and headed to UC Irvine for college. He managed just 20 1/3 nondescript innings over his first two years as he fought through injuries and took one redshirt. He got off to a ho-hum start in the Anteaters' bullpen to start 2025, but a move to the rotation was a game-changer, allowing him to rush up Draft boards for a second time and land in the fourth round with the Rockies.

Athletic on the mound, Kelly is a 6-foot-5 right-hander who started trending up when he became a starter in mid-March and really put his name on the map when he outpitched UC Santa Barbara's Tyler Bremner in his second start. Kelly's fastball sits around 92-93 mph and he can crank it up to 96 at times. But his best pitch has always been his curve, especially when he can land it for strikes. It's a nasty 11-to-5 breaker thrown in the upper 70s that routinely registers over 3,000 rpm and flashes plus. He has a low-80s changeup that can be effective as well.

While Kelly's strike-throwing has been inconsistent, scouts saw better quality strikes with the move to the rotation. He should get every opportunity to start, with the knowledge that the fastball-curve combination could tick up if he had to move back to the 'pen.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/05/2026	RHP Riley Kelly assigned to Colorado Rockies Prospects.
	08/04/2025	ACL Rockies activated RHP Riley Kelly.
	07/23/2025	RHP Riley Kelly assigned to ACL Rockies.
	07/22/2025	Colorado Rockies signed RHP Riley Kelly.
	05/23/2025	College Workout activated RHP Riley Kelly.
	01/15/2025	RHP Riley Kelly assigned to California-Irvine Anteaters.
	02/10/2024	RHP Riley Kelly assigned to California-Irvine Anteaters.