Merrill Kelly

Scouting Profile

Merrill Kelly profiles as a command-first control artist. His 8 K/9 sits in the contact-oriented end of the spectrum (22nd percentile), backed by a 104 Stuff+ that reads as roughly league-average stuff. Command grades at the 89th percentile (2 BB/9), plus control, over a 6.5-inning average workload. Within the ARI rotation he grades as the 3rd arm by strikeout rate.

2026 Strikeout Prop Outlook

For strikeout props the baseline lands near 5.8 Ks, but the daily number moves with the matchup: a lineup that whiffs more than average against right-handers pushes it up, a contact-heavy one pulls it down — the L3 opponent split is the single largest swing. Cold air and a pitcher-friendly park add roughly 0.2–0.6 K; a hitter’s park trims the ERA side. A steady 6.5-inning workload gives the counting stats room to accumulate.

Arizona Diamondbacks Rotation