Kelly

Pirates Make Bold Move Extending Don Kelly Amid Playoff Drought, Betting on Leadership to Unlock Skenes’ Full Potential

Don Watz

 

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that the contract of manager Don Kelly has been extended. Kelly has been with the team since 2020 as their bench coach and was promoted to manager on May 8. Even with a poor record, the Pirates have been relevant over the last two years due to their phenom pitcher, Paul Skenes. 

As any baseball fan knows, social media blows up with online jokes and memes when their phenom pitcher, Paul Skenes pitches. The common storyline is that his talent is being wasted at PNC Park. After all, Kelly and the club just finished their tenth season without a playoff berth. They did not even come close to sniffing the playoffs. The Pirates are apparently betting on Kelly as the person to mold Pittsburgh into a team around the legendary arm of Skenes. 

Is Kelly the Right Manager to Lead the Pirates to the Playoffs?  

While the San Francisco Giants were quick to fire their manager, Bob Melvin, the Pirates were equally quick to provide a new contract to Kelly. That leads to a fair question: Is it warranted? 

The recap: 

  • Many suggest that Skenes is being wasted as a generational talent, as he finished the year 10-10 with an ERA of 1.97
  • His record was a significant fall off from his 11-3 rookie year, but he can’t be faulted, as his ERA was 1.96 last year. (Cue the online jokes) 
  • The Pirates finished the year 71-91
  • As an interim coach, Kelly guided the team to a 59-65 record

In their release, the Pirates pointed out reasons to keep Kelly around. When he was the interim manager:

  • The Pirates’ staff ERA ranked fourth in MLB  
  • They ranked sixth best in fielding percentage
  • They finished with a 37-25 record at home at PNC Park
  • The team finished 32-33 after the All-Star Break 

Apparently these numbers were enough to convince the Pirates front office Kelly is the person to bring together a team to showcase the talents of  Skenes. 

 

What the Front Office is Saying About Kelly 

From Pirates General Manager, Ben Cherington: “Donnie is an elite communicator. He is deeply trusted by our players because he’s credible, consistent, and unafraid of tough conversations. His background as both a scout and a coach gives him a rare perspective: patience when it’s needed, and an unwavering belief in players’ ability to improve. Above all, he values people and winning. His ability to adjust, lead, and do the hard work makes him the right leader.”

Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting: “Donnie has earned the respect of the players, front office, and our fans – and he has certainly earned mine. This season, we fell well short as an organization both on and off the field. It has been unacceptable. Our focus must shift to execution, to delivering wins. Results are the only thing that matter. We owe it to our fans, to the city, and to the legacy of this team to get it right. Ben and everyone in the organization fully understands what is expected, and that the work ahead demands urgency. Today’s announcement of Donnie is the first of many steps we will take this offseason to bring winning baseball back to Pittsburgh.”

For some, the bar might be lower. If it means that we will not have to spend another summer with online jokes about wasting the talents of Skenes, keeping Kelly will be considered the right move. 

Don recently returned to writing after a hiatus. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including the USA Today, Tallahassee Democrat, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Detroit Free Press, and Arizona Republic.

More Great Content