Pirates Prospect Pitching in World Baseball Classic

The 2026 edition of the World Baseball Classic takes place from March 5-17 and features the best countries in the world, all vying for the championship.

He is one of three Pirates player that are featuring in the tournament, including star pitcher Paul Skenes with Team USA and center fielder Oneil Cruz with Team Dominican Republic.

Kelly's Prior History with the Netherlands

Kelly hails from Aruba, which is an island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which makes him eligible for the country.

This also allows other players from island countries in the Caribbean, including Curaçao and Saint Martin, to also play for Team Netherlands, even without being from the country

Kelly previously represented the country in the 2023 World Baseball Classic at 19 years old, pitching a scoreless eighth inning in a 9-5 loss to Chinese Taipei on March 11 in Classic Pool Play.

He is now 22 years old and ready to be a bigger part of Team Netherlands this season, who have finished as highest as fourth place in both the 2013 and 2017 editions of the World Baseball Classic.

Antwone Kelly's Tenure with the Pirates

Kelly joined the Pirates as a free agent during the 2021 International Signing Period from Oranjestad, Aruba and made his debut in the Dominican Summer League with DSL-Pirates Black.

He made 12 starts, posting a 4.14 ERA over 37.0 innings pitched, 39 strikeouts to 14 walks, a .259 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.35 WHIP.

Kelly spent all of 2022 with the Florida Complex League (FCL) Pirates at Rookie Level Ball and then into most of 2023 as well, but mostly came out of the bullpen, with six starts in 24 appearances.

He had more success in the FCL, posting a sub-3.00 ERA, sub-1.35 WHIP and sub-.240 BAA, while posting 100 strikeouts to 36 walks.

Kelly earned promotion to Single-A Bradenton at the end of 2022 and spent the entirety of 2023 there, but didn't have results he wanted, getting back to starting pitching.

He posted 1-6 record in 14 starts and 16 appearances, a 4.43 ERA over 69.0 innings pitched, a .247 BAA and a 1.42 WHIP.

This past season saw Kelly find his form again and show why he's an important propsect for the Pirates going forward.

Kelly began 2025 with High-A Greensboro and posted a 1-1 record in 14 starts, a 3.03 ERA over 59.1 innings pitched, 70 strikeouts to 17 walks, a .192 BAA and a 0.90 WHIP.

He earned promotion to Double-A Altoona and kept the solid performances going, with a 2-2 record over 11 starts, a 3.00 ERA over 48.0 innings pitched, 46 strikeouts to 16 walks, a .226 BAA and a 1.17 WHIP.

His fastball is what will keep him at the major league level, averaging out around 97 mph and reaching as high as 100.7 mph, close to fellow top Pirates pitching prospect Bubba Chandler.

Kelly also uses a changeup and a slider for his offspeed pitches, while relying on a cutter and a sinker too for his pitch mix.

Baseball America ranks Kelly as the eighth best prospect in the Pirates farm system and the third best pitcher, behind Chandler and Seth Hernandez, the sixth overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Corona High School in Corona, Calif.

Kelly was one of a few players the Pirates protected from the Rule 5 Draft, earning a spot on the 40-man roster, which bodes well for him making the major leagues in the future.