Carson Franklin Kelly (born July 14, 1994) is an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...
for the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB). He has previously played for the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
,
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
,
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
, and
Texas Rangers.
Born in Chicago, Kelly was raised in
Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in the Tualatin Valley, located in Washington County in the U.S. state of Oregon, with a small portion bordering Portland. The city is among the main cities that make up the Portland metropolitan area. Its population was ...
. After a standout amateur career at
Westview High School, he was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the
2012 MLB draft. By his second professional season, he had switched from playing
third base
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
to catching. In the coming years, ''
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' rated him among the Cardinals' top prospects, twice naming him St. Louis's best defensive catcher. Kelly made his MLB debut in 2016 and saw limited playing time before being traded to the Diamondbacks after the 2018 season. He became Arizona's starting catcher in 2019, tying
Miguel Montero's Diamondbacks record for the most
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s hit by a catcher in a season with 18.
Early life and career
Carson Franklin Kelly was born on July 14, 1994, in
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
.
His parents, Mike and Traci, are Chicago natives. Mike worked as a Global Brand Marketing Director for
Nike. Kelly grew up a fan of the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. His favorite player, however, was
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974), nicknamed "the Captain", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) caree ...
, who "always seemed to find a way to win". For most of his childhood, Kelly lived in
Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in the Tualatin Valley, located in Washington County in the U.S. state of Oregon, with a small portion bordering Portland. The city is among the main cities that make up the Portland metropolitan area. Its population was ...
, a suburb of
Portland, although he and his family also briefly lived in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
around when Kelly was 12.
[
At the age of four, Kelly started playing baseball. He also played ]hockey
''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...
while he lived in Toronto.[ Kelly attended Stoller Middle School and Westview High School in ]Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in the Tualatin Valley, located in Washington County in the U.S. state of Oregon, with a small portion bordering Portland. The city is among the main cities that make up the Portland metropolitan area. Its population was ...
.[ He was a star player for Westview's baseball team, where he played the ]infield
Infield is a sports term whose definition depends on the sport in whose context it is used.
Baseball
In baseball, the baseball field, diamond, as well as the area immediately beyond it, has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, ...
and also pitched.[ In 2011, his junior year, he appeared in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game, a national high school all-star game.] He was named the Gatorade
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. The drink is owned and manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was develope ...
Oregon Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012. He also won gold medals in the 2011 World Youth Baseball Championship and an under-18 international tournament.[
]
Professional career
St. Louis Cardinals
Minor leagues
The St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
selected Kelly as a third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...
in the second round, 86th overall, of the 2012 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. Though Kelly had committed to the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...
to play college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
for the Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCA ...
, he signed with the Cardinals instead, receiving a $1.6 million signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
.[ He began his professional career that year with the ]Johnson City Cardinals
The Johnson City Cardinals were a Minor League Baseball team based in Johnson City, Tennessee. The team was affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization from 1975 through 2020 and played in the Rookie League, Rookie-level Appalachian Leagu ...
of the Rookie-level
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Collegiate summer baseball, collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wooden ...
, batting .225 with nine home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s and 25 runs batted in
A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
(RBIs) in 56 games. In 2013, he was promoted to the Peoria Chiefs of the Single–A Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
. He struggled with Peoria, and was demoted to the State College Spikes
The State College Spikes are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in State College, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at Medlar Field on the campus of Pennsylvania State University.
The team was fo ...
of the Low–A New York–Penn League
The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...
. In 113 games between the two clubs he batted .257 with 6 home runs and 45 RBIs.
In 2013, Kelly and Gary LaRocque, the Cardinals' director of player development, discussed his switching positions to catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...
. Kelly believed the switch would make him more valuable in the Cardinals' system and began to transition during the 2013–14 offseason. Entering the 2014 season, ''Baseball America
''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' ranked him the 11th-best prospect for the Cardinals, and ''Baseball Prospectus'' ranked him St. Louis's sixth best.[ He played for Peoria in 2014, and batted .248 with six home runs and 49 RBIs in 98 games. He spent the 2015 season with the Palm Beach Cardinals of the High–A ]Florida State League
The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
and compiled a .219 batting average with eight home runs and 51 RBIs in 108 games. He won the 2015 minor leagues Rawlings Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances. It is awarded at each fieldin ...
for catchers.
Kelly was ranked the fourth-best prospect in the Cardinals system in 2016 by ''Baseball America''. He began the 2016 season with the Springfield Cardinals of the Double–A Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
. He was selected to the 2016 Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
All-Star Game and to the 2016 All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...
. After batting .287 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI in 64 games for Springfield, Kelly was promoted to the Memphis Redbirds of the Triple–A Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
on July 11, 2016.[
]
Major leagues
The Cardinals purchased Kelly's contract on September 4, 2016, promoting him to the major leagues as part of September callups. In 96 games between Springfield and Memphis prior to his call up he compiled a .289 batting average/.343 on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
/.395 slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...
with six home runs and 32 RBIs. He made his major league debut on September 5 against the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
. In his first at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...
, he hit a line drive
In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...
double
Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to:
Mathematics and computing
* Multiplication by 2
* Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length
* A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1
* A ...
in the eighth inning. He then scored his first run as the Cardinals won 12–6. Kelly appeared in 10 games with St. Louis in 2016, batting .154 with one RBI. After the season, the Cardinals assigned Kelly to the Glendale Desert Dogs
The Glendale Desert Dogs are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility of the Chicago White S ...
of the Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...
(AFL). In 21 games for Glendale, he batted .286 with 3 home runs and 18 RBIs. The Cardinals also named Kelly their 2016 Minor League Player of the Year.
Prior to 2017, ''Baseball America'' ranked Kelly the Cardinals' third-best prospect and best defensive catcher. He returned to Memphis to begin 2017. On April 11, he hit multiple home runs against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox were a Minor League Baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and was the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers (2015–2018), Colorado R ...
.[ (Note: May need to click "View More Bio Info+" for some of the information.)] He was named the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month for May after batting .381 with a .447 on-base percentage. He had a game-ending RBI single against the Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...
on July 14, his 23rd birthday. In 68 games for Memphis, he posted a .283 batting average with ten home runs and 41 RBIs. He was recalled to St. Louis on July 21, replacing Eric Fryer, who was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...
, as the backup to Yadier Molina
Yadier Benjamín Molina (; born July 13, 1982) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former catcher who is the manager of the Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Professional Baseball League. He played his entir ...
. In the game that day, he had a two-RBI double as St. Louis beat the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
11–4. He spent the remainder of the season with the Cardinals. In 34 games for St. Louis he batted .174/.240/.217.
MLB.com ranked Kelly as St. Louis's third-best prospect going into the 2018 season, while ''Baseball America'' ranked him as St. Louis's best defensive catcher. He began the season with Memphis and received his first 2018 promotion to the major leagues on May 6 when Molina was placed on the disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...
. However, Kelly was placed on the disabled list on May 17 with a right hamstring sprain. He was not injured long, returning to the active roster on May 26. On June 4, he was optioned to Memphis, as the Cardinals elected to keep Francisco Peña as Molina's backup. In 83 games for Memphis, he batted .269 with 7 home runs and 41 RBIs. He was again recalled by St. Louis when rosters expanded on September 1. In 19 games for St. Louis, he batted .114 with no home runs and three RBIs.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On December 5, 2018, the Cardinals traded Kelly, Luke Weaver, Andy Young, and a draft pick to the Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
in exchange for first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
Prior to the 2019 season, ''Baseball America'' ranked Kelly the Diamondbacks' fourth-best prospect and best defensive catcher. The Diamondbacks started the season with three catchers. Manager Torey Lovullo hoped that Kelly, Alex Avila, and John Ryan Murphy would be a "three-headed monster" at the position. His first game with the Diamondbacks started on March 29 against the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, a game that lasted for six hours and five minutes, setting a record for the longest ever played at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
. Kelly had a pinch-hit RBI in the top of the 13th, helping Arizona win 5–4. Against the Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
on April 6, he had three RBIs, including a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Arizona a 5–4 victory. On May 4, he hit his first career home run, the second of back-to-back homers against Kyle Freeland as Arizona beat the Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
9–2. The Diamondbacks designated Murphy for assignment on May 25, leaving Kelly and Avila as the team's main catchers. On July 3, Kelly's home run against Kenley Jansen put the Diamondbacks ahead in the ninth, though they eventually lost 5–4 to the Dodgers in 10 innings. His three-run home run against John Means on July 24 helped the Diamondbacks beat the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
5–2. He had his first multi-home run game on August 9, tying a game against the Dodgers with a two-run blast in the ninth inning and hitting a solo shot in the 11th to secure a 3–2 victory. In 2019, Kelly batted .245/.348/.478 with 18 home runs and 47 RBIs over 111 games. His 18 home runs tied Miguel Montero's Diamondbacks record for the most home runs hit by a catcher in a season.
The 2020 season did not start until July 24 due to the impact of COVID-19. On August 9, after starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner struggled and lasted only two innings, Kelly pitched a scoreless inning during a blowout loss to the San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
. Kelly appeared in a majority of games at the catching position in 2020, splitting time with Stephen Vogt
Stephen Guy Vogt ( ; born November 1, 1984) is an American professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former catcher and Coach (baseball), coach who currently serves as the manager for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Basebal ...
but getting most of the September starts. In 39 games, Kelly batted .221 with five home runs and 19 RBIs.
Kelly began the 2021 season hitting .338 with 6 home runs before being placed on the injured list (IL) on May 17 with a toe fracture. He was activated on May 25. However, he only batted .171 over his next 22 games. On June 19, Kelly suffered another fracture, this time to his wrist, and was once again placed on the IL. He returned on July 30. Kelly played in 104 games for the Diamondbacks during the 2022 campaign, batting .211/.282/.334 with seven home runs and 35 RBI.
On January 13, 2023, Kelly agreed to a one-year, $4.275 million contract with the Diamondbacks, avoiding salary arbitration. On March 20, Kelly left a spring training game after he was hit in the arm by a pitch from Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
reliever Gregory Santos. The next day, he was diagnosed with a fractured right forearm. Kelly was placed on the 60-day injured list on May 20. After an eight–game rehab assignment with the Triple–A Reno Aces, Kelly was activated and assumed the roster spot of José Herrera, who was sent down to Triple–A. In 32 games for the Diamondbacks, he batted .226/.283/.298 with one home run and six RBIs. On August 13, Kelly was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...
following the promotion of Bryce Jarvis. He was released by the Diamondbacks on August 15.
Detroit Tigers
On August 19, 2023, Kelly signed a major league contract with the Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
that included a club option for the 2024 season. The option, worth $3.5 million, was picked up on November 6. despite Kelly hitting .173 in 18 games for Detroit.
Kelly appeared in 60 contests for the Tigers in 2024, hitting .240/.325/.391 with seven home runs and 29 RBI.
Texas Rangers
On July 28, 2024, the Tigers traded Kelly to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Tyler Owens and Liam Hicks. In 31 games for Texas, Kelly batted .235/.291/.343 with two home runs and eight RBI.
Chicago Cubs
On December 13, 2024, Kelly signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. The deal included a mutual option for 2027 worth $7.5 million and a $1.5 million buyout should the option be declined. On March 31, 2025, Kelly hit for the cycle
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust or HIT, a fictional organization ...
in just his third game with the team, in an 18–3 victory against the Athletics, becoming the first Cub to achieve the feat since Mark Grace
Mark Eugene Grace (born June 28, 1964) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who spent 13 seasons with the Chicago Cubs and three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks of the National League (NL). He was a member of t ...
in 1993, and the first player in MLB history to hit for the cycle in the month of March.
Personal life
Kelly and his wife, Eloise, married in 2020. A golfer, Kelly participated in the 2020 Waste Management Pro Am. His younger brother, Parker, played college baseball for the University of Oregon and was drafted by the Cardinals in the 20th round of the 2018 MLB draft. Parker played for two seasons in the minor leagues for the Cardinals before moving on to independent league baseball.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Carson
1994 births
Living people
Arizona Complex League Diamondbacks players
Arizona Diamondbacks players
Baseball players from Chicago
Chicago Cubs players
Detroit Tigers players
Hillsboro Hops players
Johnson City Cardinals players
Major League Baseball catchers
Memphis Redbirds players
Palm Beach Cardinals players
Peoria Chiefs players
Reno Aces players
Sportspeople from Beaverton, Oregon
Baseball players from Washington County, Oregon
Springfield Cardinals players
St. Louis Cardinals players
State College Spikes players
Texas Rangers players