The article discusses the unpredictable nature of MLB bullpens, emphasizing that rosters can shift dramatically due to injuries and performance variability. The piece specifically focuses on Zack Kelly, a reliever for the Red Sox known for his strong arm and four-pitch arsenal. Despite having great potential with a fastball averaging 96.5 MPH and an effective sweeper, Kelly struggled with a nearly four ERA last season. The article also notes the likelihood of the team utilizing numerous relievers as the season progresses, highlighting the importance of adapting to changing rosters.
Zack Kelly is one of the most interesting arms in the Red Sox bullpen. He has fantastic stuff, but the performance doesn't match. In 56.2 innings last year, Kelly's ERA was just shy of four.
His sweeper is his next most-used pitch and might be his best. Right-handed hitters are baffled by it. He throws it both in and out of the zone, gets called strikes and whiffs, and doesn't allow hard contact against it.
The nature of the position allows you to get by with one or two above-average skills. The Red Sox used 25 relievers last season. They'll probably use another 20-something this season.
Kelly uses four pitches, and each of them has positive traits. His four-seam has all of the elements of a good fastball. He throws hard, averaging 96.5 MPH but reaching 99 MPH.
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