Carson Kelly

Active

Chicago Cubs · C

Age 326' 1" · 212 lbsBats Right

#313 Current#310 Preseason

FBaseball Overview

At 31, Kelly enters 2026 as a steady fantasy contributor at a position that offers limited offensive depth, though his role remains tied to playing time consistency behind the plate for Chicago. His early-season numbers show modest improvement in batting average (.276) compared to last year's .249, suggesting potential for a solid batting average floor, but the power production has dipped significantly with just four home runs through his initial opportunities. The veteran catcher's value hinges on accumulating at-bats against the Cubs' lineup composition and remaining healthy, as injury has been a recurring theme throughout his career that fantasy managers must monitor. Kelly projects as a dependable mid-tier catcher for 2026 if the Cubs keep him regularly in the lineup, but he's unlikely to provide ceiling-type production in home runs or runs scored.

News Updates

Kelly homers, drives in four runs for Cubs
Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs, a double, a walk and two additional runs scored in the Cubs' dominant 17-5 victory over the Reds. Kelly's offensive explosion helped power Chicago's lopsided win.
Aug 30, 2026
Carson Kelly homers in Cubs shutout of Arizona
Cubs catcher Carson Kelly went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Chicago's 7-0 shutout victory over the Diamondbacks. Kelly contributed to the Cubs' dominant offensive performance in the blowout win.
Aug 25, 2026

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	St. Louis Cardinals	10	14	13	.154	0	1	1	0	2	.214	.231	.445
2017	St. Louis Cardinals	34	75	69	.174	0	6	5	0	11	.240	.217	.457
2018	St. Louis Cardinals	19	42	35	.114	0	3	1	0	7	.205	.114	.319
2019	Arizona Diamondbacks	111	365	314	.245	18	47	46	0	79	.348	.478	.826
2020	Arizona Diamondbacks	39	129	122	.221	5	19	11	0	29	.264	.385	.649
2021	Arizona Diamondbacks	98	359	304	.240	13	46	41	0	74	.343	.411	.754
2022	Arizona Diamondbacks	104	354	317	.211	7	35	40	2	71	.282	.334	.616
2023	2 teams▼	52	151	136	.206	2	13	13	1	40	.278	.287	.565
2024	2 teams▼	91	313	281	.238	9	37	32	0	55	.313	.374	.687
2025	Chicago Cubs	111	421	369	.249	17	50	48	2	80	.333	.428	.761
2026	Chicago Cubs	121	425	380	.258	10	58	57	0	70	.336	.376	.712
Career	Totals	790	2648	2340	.234	81	315	295	5	518	.316	.382	.698

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2012	Johnson City Cardinals	56	225	213	.225	9	25	24	0	33	.263	.399	.662
2013	2 teams▼	113	467	417	.257	6	45	53	1	56	.322	.357	.679
2014	Peoria Chiefs	98	415	363	.248	6	49	41	1	54	.326	.366	.692
2015	Palm Beach Cardinals	108	419	389	.219	8	51	30	0	64	.263	.332	.595
2016	2 teams▼	96	362	329	.289	6	32	43	0	63	.343	.395	.738
2017	Memphis Redbirds	68	280	244	.283	10	41	37	0	40	.375	.459	.834
2018	Memphis Redbirds	83	349	294	.269	7	41	38	0	48	.378	.395	.773
2021	2 teams▼	4	16	12	.167	0	1	2	0	5	.313	.333	.646
2022	Reno Aces	5	22	17	.353	2	3	4	0	1	.455	.824	1.279
2023	Reno Aces	8	34	29	.345	0	4	5	0	8	.412	.448	.860
Career	Totals	639	2589	2307	.256	54	292	277	2	372	.326	.384	.710

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Last Week / Last Month

Current season · MLB only

7 games

G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
7	24	22	.227	0	1	2	0	4	.292	.227	.519

30 games

G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
30	104	96	.250	3	15	16	0	16	.308	.385	.693

Game Log2026 MLB

Loading game log…

Advanced Stats2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg86.7 mph

Max EV108.4 mph

Launch Angle13.3°

Barrel %5.2%

K %16.5%

Hard Hit %36.1%

Sprint Speed25.8 ft/s

Bat Speed70.6 mph

Whiff %19.8%

Chase %25.2%

xBA0.244

xSLG0.372

xwOBA0.311

GB%46.1%

FB%24.2%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Bat Speed — Average swing speed at the point of contact. Faster bat speed lets hitters wait longer on pitches and generates more raw power potential.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

Loading player data...

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2016

St. Louis Cardinals

.154

.214

.231

.445

2017

St. Louis Cardinals

.174

.240

.217

.457

2018

St. Louis Cardinals

.114

.205

.114

.319

2019

Arizona Diamondbacks

111

365

314

.245

.348

.478

.826

2020

Arizona Diamondbacks

129

122

.221

.264

.385

.649

2021

Arizona Diamondbacks

359

304

.240

.343

.411

.754

2022

Arizona Diamondbacks

104

354

317

.211

.282

.334

.616

2023

2 teams▼

151

136

.206

.278

.287

.565

2024

2 teams▼

313

281

.238

.313

.374

.687

2025

Chicago Cubs

111

421

369

.249

.333

.428

.761

2026

Chicago Cubs

121

425

380

.258

.336

.376

.712

Career

Totals

790

2648

2340

.234

315

295

518

.316

.382

.698

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2012

Johnson City Cardinals

225

213

.225

.263

.399

.662

2013

2 teams▼

113

467

417

.257

.322

.357

.679

2014

Peoria Chiefs

415

363

.248

.326

.366

.692

2015

Palm Beach Cardinals

108

419

389

.219

.263

.332

.595

2016

2 teams▼

362

329

.289

.343

.395

.738

2017

Memphis Redbirds

280

244

.283

.375

.459

.834

2018

Memphis Redbirds

349

294

.269

.378

.395

.773

2021

2 teams▼

.167

.313

.333

.646

2022

Reno Aces

.353

.455

.824

1.279

2023

Reno Aces

.345

.412

.448

.860

Career

Totals

639

2589

2307

.256

292

277

372

.326

.384

.710

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

.227

.292

.227

.519

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

104

.250

.308

.385

.693