NEWS

MINNEAPOLIS — Zack Kelly '17 made his Major League Baseball debut on Aug. 29, pitching for the Boston Red Sox in a matchup against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Though the Red Sox came up short by a final score of 4-2, the big takeaway for Newberry College fans is welcoming an alumnus to the big leagues for the first time in decades.

2 strikeouts in his first big league inning.

Welcome to the show, Zack Kelly! pic.twitter.com/P0yV2PeODE

— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 30, 2022

The righthanded reliever's first time on the big-league mound was a success. As Boston.com's Tom Westerholm reports: "In more positive news, 27-year-old reliever Zack Kelly — who signed a meager $500 signing bonus as an undrafted free agent in 2017 — made his major-league debut and pitched a scoreless sixth inning with two strikeouts and a hit. Kelly fanned the first batter he faced. After the game, Kelly was spotted emerging from the dugout to hug his father, who was in attendance."

On a Sunday night bus ride, Kelly got the call that he was being called up. He was promoted from the Red Sox's Class AAA team in Worcester, Massachusetts. Kelly's journey from Virginia high school ball to the MLB has been a story worth telling. Read about Kelly's rise from The Roanoke Times' Mark Berman.

Photo: Abbie Parr / Associated Press