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OWEN KELLINGTON, RIGHT HANDED PITCHER
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| Born: February 5, 2003 Height: 6’3″ Weight: 193 Bats: Left Throws: Right Drafted: Round 4, 102nd Overall, 2021 How Acquired: Draft High School: U-32 HS (VT) Agent: N/A |
WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE |
| After going for several high-ceiling, and probably high-bonus, picks in the early rounds on day two, the Pirates picked Kellington in the fourth round. He went to a rural high school in Vermont, in an area that normally never sees baseball scouts. In fact, he’s now the second-highest-drafted player in state history. Kellington drew attention with a low-90s fastball and potentially good curve. Baseball America rated him 386th among draft prospects. He’s mostly faced weak competition and may need to refine his delivery, so he figures to be a project, but he has upside. Kellington had a commitment to the University of Connecticut, but he signed the day before the deadline for $600,000, a little over the slot value of $571,400. Kellington was the last player from the Pirates’ draft to sign. The bonus he received used up every remaining penny of their bonus pool.
2021 Neither Kellington nor the Pirates’ other prep pitching draftees took the mound in 2021, nor did some of their college pitchers. 2022 Kellington’s pro debut was a rough one, as well as very brief. He pitched twice in June, coming out of the second game after facing just two batters. He missed over a month with a hamstring injury and struggled when he came back. After one very good outing, he had three terrible ones. It seems likely that the injury accounted for a lot of Kellington’s struggles in his debut, but there’s no way to say for sure how much of it was that. That might have been the main problem, as he’ll open 2023 in Bradenton. |
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CONTRACT INFORMATION
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| 2023: Minor league salary |
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PLAYER INFORMATION
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| Signing Bonus: $600,000 MiLB Debut: 2022 MLB Debut: MiLB FA Eligible: 2027 MLB FA Eligible: Rule 5 Eligible: 2025 Added to 40-Man: Options Remaining: 3 MLB Service Time: 0.000 |
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TRANSACTIONS
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| July 12, 2021: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 4th round, 102nd overall pick; signed on July 31. |
