May 9, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly (12) gives a thumbs up before the game against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park. This was Kelly’s first game as manager for the Pirates. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

MLB Insider Praises Pirates Manager Don Kelly

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 9:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly has only held his position for almost a month, but has received plaudits from the national media.

Kelly took over as manager following the Pirates front office dismissing Derek Shelton on May 8 after a 12-26 start to the season.

The Pirates have played somewhat better under Kelly, going 10-13 overall and 6-5 at PNC Park, but could've had an even better record, with seven losses by two runs or less.

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan spoke on the Pat McAfee Show and praised Kelly for what he's brought so far. Passan also hopes ownership supports Kelly for his energy and mentality.

"I gotta say, I am a huge Don Kelly fan and I love, I love the fire," Passan said. "I think he's a smart guy. I think he has a great feel in the clubhouse. Players are gonna love him. He's put in the time, put in the work. I just hope that everything that surrounds him in Pittsburgh, all the way up to ownership, is as good as he is."

"Just to be clear, the Pirates have no intention of trading Paul Skenes at this point."@JeffPassan clears up Paul Skenes trade rumors on the @PatMcAfeeShow. pic.twitter.com/KH9QMMuahs
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 2, 2025

Kelly was born in nearby Butler on Feb. 15, 1980 and played for Mt. Lebanon High School, winning the state title as a senior. He then attended Point Park University and played three seasons, hitting .413 and striking out just 20 times over 500 at-bats.

He would play for the Petersburg Generals in the Coastal Plain League during the summer of 2000 and excelled, leading to the Detroit Tigers taking him in the eighth round of the 2001 MLB Draft.

The Pirates eventually signed Kelly on a minor league contract in 2007 and he played in 25 games that season, slashing .148/.281/.148 for an OPS of .429.

He would end up back in the MLB with the Detroit Tigers and spent six seasons with them from 2009-14, playing in 544 games. He slashed .234/.297/.340 for an OPS of .637, with 244 hits, 28 doubles, seven triples, 23 home runs, 98 RBIs and 87 walks to 163 strikeouts.

Kelly spent two seasons with the Miami Marlins in 2015 and 2016, but played just 15 games at the MLB level.

He then went into coaching, serving as an assistant on the player development staff for the Tigers, before earning promotion to scout. He spent a season with the Houston Astros as their first base coach in 2019 before taking over as bench coach for the Pirates on Dec. 7, 2019.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: