Every Spring Training there are players who either play themselves off the roster and some who potentially play themselves onto the roster. Then there are those that may not make the OD roster, but have moved ever so close to their MLB debut.
We have those again this year. IMO, Edgardo Henriquez has played himself off the OD roster. He has not been good at all during ST. And while it hurts my heart, Alex Freeland is heading back to OKC. While it was a longshot to make OD roster, Ryan Ward’s play this Spring puts him back at OKC. As I am editing this, we have learned that he has already been optioned.
Last year, early season injuries to Brusdar Graterol, Evan Phillips, and Blake Treinen opened the door for Jack Dreyer to come out of nowhere to make the OD roster. Ben Casparius also was allowed to cement himself into the bullpen.
Santiago Espinal seemingly has put himself into the position of making the OD roster. He will ultimately battle Hyeseong Kim for the roster spot once Tommy Edman returns. Also while editing, we have learned that Kim suffered a hand injury in the WBC sliding into 2B on a SB attempt.
Notwithstanding his Sunday outing, Kyle Hurt has shown enough to get serious consideration to making the OD roster. In Spring, ERA is inconsequential. Instead, I like to concentrate on what they can best control, walks and strikeouts. He just pitched in his 5th game, and has compiled 5.0 IP. In those 5.0 IP, Kyle has 1 walk and 9 strikeouts. He may not have faced a lot of elite bats, but 9 K and 1 BB in 5.0 IP is impressive. That computes to 16.2 K/9. He misses a lot of bats, and that plays well.
On an 0-2 pitch, Hurt threw a horrible 88.1 MPH changeup center/center to De Vries. He did not have to be a top prospect to crush that one. I am sure Mark Prior has advised him that that pitch cannot be made in that spot.
Those not on the 40 man who IMO have jetted up the depth chart include:
- Jackson Ferris
- James Tibbs III
- Zach Ehrhard
- Noah Miller
- Chris Campos
- Elijah Hainline
Alex Call has done nothing to move him out of the #4 OF role. He can play all 3 defensive OF positions, can run some, and he has hit well this Spring.
I do not know what Nick Senzel’s contract says, but if he can opt out, I assume he will. I am sure he has interested multiple teams. If not, he will go back to OKC and wait for an opportunity. Depending as to how severe Kim’s injury is, he could break camp with LAD.
Certainly Ryder Ryan has done everything he can to put his name into consideration.
But there is one pitcher who has truly opened the door. LHRP Antoine Kelly was signed as a MiLB free agent out of the Rockies organization last November.
Kelly was a13th round pick by the Padres in 2018 out of Park Ridge, IL HS. Kelly chose to forego the Padres contract offer and go to Wabash Valley (IL) CC. The Brewers selected him in the 2nd round of the 2019 draft. At Wabash Valley CC, Kelly was a 6-foot-6 project where he led all junior college pitchers with a whopping 19.1 strikeouts per nine innings but little in the way of secondary pitches. The Brewers signed Kelly for slot value, and sent him to the Arizona Rookie League and watched him strike out 41 batters in 21 2/3 promising innings. While striking an imposing figure, and after adding 20 pounds to fill-out his tall frame, he added power for his fastball that jumped from the low 90s to the upper 90s. He pitched almost exclusively with a fastball that immediately became one of the best in the Brewers’ system.
The arrows were pointing in the right direction in 2020 for Antoine Kelly, who was one of the most electric players at Milwaukee’s alternate training site.
In 2020 at the Brewers’ alternate training site, Kelly took the next step by honing his changeup into a legitimate weapon to pair with his fastball and a slider that could be above average in time. It may have been a matter of necessity, since Kelly pitched against veteran hitters with Major League experience who were accustomed to handling big velocity. After seeing Kelly make strides to his arsenal and the rest of his game, including learning to hold runners, some club officials considered Kelly the team’s unofficial alternate site MVP.
Unfortunately at the conclusion of the season, Kelly, underwent offseason surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. Specifically, Kelly underwent pectoralis minor release surgery and a first rib resection surgery on Nov. 5, 2020, performed by Dr. Gregory Pearl.
Kelly moved to full time relief in 2023. He was DFA by the Brewers in July 2024, and the Rockies claimed him off waivers. Kelly elected free agency after the 2025 season and signed a MiLB contract with LAD.
Kelly reached as high as #5 Brewers prospect in 2021 for Baseball America, and #6 per MLB Pipeline in 2020 and 2021.
All Kelly has done this Spring is to appear in 6 games, 6.0 scoreless IP, 1 hit allowed, 2 BB, and 7 K. He is a LHRP who strikes batters out. He has a 6’5” extension with a sweeper slider to go with his fastball. Unfortunately for Kelly, the team is chock-full of LHRP. He is currently scheduled to go to OKC where he will compete with Ronan Kopp as a lefty who could get the call if one of the LAD LHRP is injured.
