Career Timeline of Carson Kelly: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Carson Kelly made an impact.

Carson Kelly is a professional baseball catcher currently playing for the Chicago Cubs in MLB. His career includes stints with the St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers. Kelly's primary role is as a catcher, a key defensive position in baseball.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2011: Under Armour All-America Game

In 2011, during his junior year, Carson Kelly participated in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game, a national high school all-star event. He was also named the Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year and won a gold medal in the World Youth Baseball Championship.

2012: Cardinals Draft Kelly

In 2012, Carson Kelly was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the MLB draft after a successful high school career.

2013: Switching to Catcher

In 2013, Carson Kelly discussed switching his position to catcher, believing it would increase his value in the Cardinals' system. He began the transition during the 2013-14 offseason.

2013: Promotion and Demotion

In 2013, Carson Kelly was promoted to the Peoria Chiefs but struggled and was later demoted to the State College Spikes. Across both teams, he batted .257 with 6 home runs.

2014: Played for Peoria

In 2014, Carson Kelly played for the Peoria team, batting .248 with six home runs.

2015: Rawlings Gold Glove Award

In 2015, Carson Kelly spent the season with the Palm Beach Cardinals. He won the minor league Rawlings Gold Glove Award for catchers.

July 11, 2016: Promotion to Memphis Redbirds

On July 11, 2016, after performing well with the Springfield Cardinals, batting .287 with 6 home runs, Carson Kelly was promoted to the Memphis Redbirds of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

September 4, 2016: Promotion to Major Leagues

On September 4, 2016, Carson Kelly's contract was purchased by the Cardinals, promoting him to the major leagues. Prior to this, he batted .289 with six home runs and 32 RBIs. He made his major league debut on September 5, hitting a double and scoring a run.

2016: MLB Debut

In 2016, Carson Kelly made his Major League Baseball debut with the St. Louis Cardinals, seeing limited playing time.

2017: Minor and Major League Play

In 2017, Carson Kelly started the season with Memphis and was later recalled to St. Louis on July 21. Over 68 games for Memphis, he had a .283 batting average. He finished the season with St. Louis, batting .174 in 34 games.

December 5, 2018: Trade to Diamondbacks

On December 5, 2018, the St. Louis Cardinals traded Carson Kelly, Luke Weaver, Andy Young, and a draft pick to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Paul Goldschmidt.

2018: Traded to Diamondbacks

After the 2018 season, Carson Kelly was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks from the St. Louis Cardinals.

2018: Minor and Major League Play

In 2018, Carson Kelly began the season with Memphis and was promoted to the major leagues on May 6, but was soon placed on the disabled list with a hamstring sprain. He was optioned to Memphis again on June 4 and recalled to St. Louis in September. He batted .269 in 83 games for Memphis.

2019: Starting Catcher for Arizona

In 2019, Carson Kelly became the starting catcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, matching Miguel Montero's record of 18 home runs in a season for a catcher on the team.

2019: Solid Performance with Diamondbacks

In 2019, Carson Kelly had a solid season with the Diamondbacks, batting .245 with 18 home runs and 47 RBIs in 111 games. His 18 home runs tied a Diamondbacks record for a catcher in a season.

2020: 2020 Season

Due to COVID-19, the 2020 season began on July 24. On August 9, Carson Kelly pitched a scoreless inning for the Diamondbacks. Overall, he batted .221 with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 39 games in 2020.

2022: 2022 Season

In 2022, Carson Kelly played in 104 games for the Diamondbacks, batting .211 with seven home runs.

January 13, 2023: Contract Agreement with Diamondbacks

On January 13, 2023, Carson Kelly agreed to a one-year, $4.275 million contract with the Diamondbacks, avoiding salary arbitration.

August 19, 2023: Signed with Detroit Tigers

On August 19, 2023, Carson Kelly signed a major league contract with the Detroit Tigers, including a club option for the 2024 season.

July 28, 2024: Trade to Texas Rangers

On July 28, 2024, the Detroit Tigers traded Carson Kelly to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Tyler Owens and Liam Hicks. Kelly then batted .235 in 31 games with Texas.

December 13, 2024: Signed with Chicago Cubs

On December 13, 2024, Carson Kelly signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, including a mutual option for 2027.

2024: Performance for the Tigers

In 2024, Carson Kelly appeared in 60 contests for the Detroit Tigers, achieving a batting average of .240 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs.

2024: Club Option Picked Up

In 2024, the Detroit Tigers picked up the $3.5 million club option on Carson Kelly's contract despite him hitting .173 in 18 games.

March 31, 2025: Hits for the Cycle

On March 31, 2025, in just his third game with the team, Carson Kelly hit for the cycle in an 18-3 victory, becoming the first Cub to achieve this since Mark Grace in 1993 and the first person to do so in March in MLB history.