Right-hander Merrill Kelly (35-Arizona Diamondbacks), formerly of the KBO’s SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers), has been making waves in Major League Baseball (MLB) this season.

On Monday (Sept. 29), Kelly started a home game against the Boston Red Sox at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, and pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

Down 4-0 and with runners on first and second in the seventh inning, Kelly picked up his sixth win of the season as his team ultimately won 4-2.

The win tied him for first in the National League with Mitch Keller (Pittsburgh Pirates), Zack Galen (Arizona), Justin Steele (Chicago Cubs), and Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers).

He also lowered his ERA to 2.83, good for fifth in the division. He is second in batting average (0.192) and 10th in strikeouts (69).

Kelly previously played for SK from 2015 to 2018. In four seasons in South Korea, he compiled a 48-32 record with a 3.86 ERA.

He had never pitched in the big leagues before, but used his success in Korea to break into the big leagues with Arizona in 2019.

A consistent starter from his first year in the big leagues, Kelly wrote a “reverse export success story” by earning a spot on Team USA’s roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC). He started the WBC final against Japan.

Kelly has been on fire this season. 먹튀검증 Starting with his second start of the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 7, he has gone five or more innings in 10 consecutive games.

He has six quality starts (six innings or less) in that span. His fastball averages in the low 150 mph range, but he has developed an accurate delivery and changeup that has made him a quality pitcher.

Against Boston, he showed off his precise delivery. Over the course of his 108-pitch outing, Kelly utilized a variety of pitches, including a changeup, cut fastball, sinking fastball, curveball, and slider.

Boston manager Alex Cora praised Kelly’s performance in a postgame interview with MLB.com, referencing Hall of Famer Greg Maddux.

Maddux is a legendary player who made his MLB debut in 1986 and went on to play for the Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Dodgers, and San Diego Padres.

“Kelly’s pitches were perfect today,” said Cora. He used the strike zone in a way that reminded me of Maddux,” said Cora. “He’s one of the best pitchers in the league. “He’s one of the best pitchers in the league. We battled with him, but we just couldn’t get the win.