Merrill Kelly
#29 Active2026 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile
Merrill Kelly’s 2025 season was a successful return to durability and effectiveness, split between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pitching for two teams, he combined for a 12-9 record with a solid 3.52 ERA across 184.0 innings. Kelly proved his 2024 shoulder issues were behind him, making 32 starts and maintaining a 1.13 WHIP. His strikeout rate held steady at 22.3%, and he limited walks to just 6.4%, showcasing the command that has made him a reliable mid-rotation arm. He finished the season strong with Arizona after being traded mid-year, posting a 3.22 ERA in 22 starts for the D-backs.
Entering 2026, Kelly is back with the Diamondbacks on a newly signed 2-year, $40 million contract, solidifying his role in their rotation. Projections view him as a stable innings eater, forecasting an ERA around 3.94 and roughly 180 innings pitched. While he doesn't offer elite strikeout upside (projected for ~160 Ks), his ability to limit baserunners and go deep into games provides a high floor for fantasy managers. He should be drafted as a dependable SP3/4 who can help stabilize ratios and accumulate quality starts.
DFS Last 5
Game Log
2026 Regular Season| DATE | OPPONENT | DEC | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | WHIP | PC | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16 | vs. Miami Marlins | L | 4.2 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 5.21 | 1.51 | 91 | L 4-3 |
| Sep 11 | vs. Texas Rangers | 4.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5.19 | 1.50 | 80 | W 1-9 | |
| Sep 4 | @ Houston Astros | L | 6.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5.29 | 1.51 | 94 | L 1-3 |
| Aug 29 | @ San Francisco Giants | W | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 5.33 | 1.52 | 100 | W 7-1 |
| Aug 24 | vs. Chicago Cubs | L | 5.2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5.63 | 1.56 | 99 | L 7-0 |
| Aug 18 | @ Boston Red Sox | L | 4.0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5.68 | 1.57 | 86 | L 4-9 |
| Aug 12 | vs. Colorado Rockies | L | 5.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5.40 | 1.53 | 71 | L 6-4 |
| Aug 7 | vs. Los Angeles Dodgers | 5.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 5.15 | 1.51 | 80 | W 3-4 | |
| Aug 2 | @ Cleveland Guardians | L | 5.0 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5.35 | 1.54 | 96 | L 0-5 |
| Jul 27 | @ Pittsburgh Pirates | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.16 | 1.49 | 2 | L 2-3 | |
| Jul 17 | vs. St. Louis Cardinals | 4.0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5.16 | 1.49 | 69 | L 5-4 | |
| Jul 9 | @ San Diego Padres | W | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5.38 | 1.51 | 94 | W 3-1 |
| Jul 4 | vs. Milwaukee Brewers | W | 5.0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5.71 | 1.56 | 92 | W 3-4 |
| Jun 28 | @ Tampa Bay Rays | L | 6.0 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5.84 | 1.53 | 93 | L 1-5 |
| Jun 22 | @ St. Louis Cardinals | L | 6.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5.71 | 1.52 | 96 | L 2-3 |
| Jun 16 | vs. Los Angeles Angels | L | 5.1 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5.81 | 1.51 | 88 | L 7-0 |
| Jun 11 | @ Miami Marlins | L | 6.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5.46 | 1.45 | 74 | L 0-2 |
| Jun 5 | vs. Washington Nationals | L | 5.0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5.71 | 1.49 | 85 | L 14-1 |
| May 31 | @ Seattle Mariners | 5.1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5.06 | 1.46 | 97 | L 2-3 | |
| May 25 | @ San Francisco Giants | W | 7.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5.25 | 1.42 | 96 | W 6-2 |
| May 20 | vs. San Francisco Giants | W | 6.0 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5.71 | 1.51 | 85 | W 3-6 |
| May 15 | @ Colorado Rockies | W | 9.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5.91 | 1.54 | 100 | W 9-1 |
| May 9 | vs. New York Mets | W | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7.62 | 1.92 | 96 | W 1-2 |
| May 3 | @ Chicago Cubs | L | 4.1 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9.95 | 2.32 | 92 | L 4-8 |
| Apr 28 | @ Milwaukee Brewers | L | 5.0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 9.20 | 2.25 | 104 | L 2-13 |
| Apr 21 | vs. Chicago White Sox | L | 4.1 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 9.31 | 2.28 | 101 | L 11-5 |
| Apr 14 | @ Baltimore Orioles | W | 5.1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3.38 | 1.69 | 86 | W 4-3 |
| No games against that opponent. | |||||||||||||
| Total | 8-14 | 145.0 | 152 | 87 | 84 | 26 | 67 | 102 | 5.21 | 1.51 | 2,347 | ||
| Total | 1 game | 1-0 | 5.1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3.38 | 1.69 | 86 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 4.0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 13.50 | 2.75 | 86 | |
| Total | 2 games | 0-2 | 10.0 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 8.10 | 1.90 | 191 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 4.1 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 16.62 | 3.00 | 101 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 5.0 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9.00 | 2.40 | 96 | |
| Total | 2 games | 1-1 | 14.0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4.50 | 0.93 | 171 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 6.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4.50 | 1.17 | 94 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 5.1 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10.13 | 2.25 | 88 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 5.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1.59 | 1.06 | 80 | |
| Total | 2 games | 0-2 | 10.2 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 4.22 | 1.41 | 165 | |
| Total | 2 games | 1-1 | 10.0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 6.30 | 2.10 | 196 | |
| Total | 1 game | 1-0 | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1.29 | 0.86 | 96 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | |
| Total | 1 game | 1-0 | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1.29 | 0.86 | 94 | |
| Total | 3 games | 3-0 | 20.0 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 2.25 | 1.00 | 281 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 5.1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3.38 | 1.88 | 97 | |
| Total | 2 games | 0-1 | 10.0 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2.70 | 1.50 | 165 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 6.0 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7.50 | 1.67 | 93 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 4.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2.08 | 1.15 | 80 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 5.0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12.60 | 1.80 | 85 | |
AVG, OBP, SLG, ERA and WHIP are season-to-date through each game, not that game alone — so the column reads as a trend and its last value is the season figure. They stay season-to-date when the log is filtered by opponent; the figure for the filtered games is the one in the Total row. The second game of a doubleheader is marked (2).
