2015 Cardinals Position Players To Watch

Mar 6, 2015; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Ty Kelly (68) scores a run during a spring training baseball game against the Houston Astros at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

3. Ty Kelly

Kelly is a very intriguing player that is currently entrenched in a battle for one of the final roster spots on the opening day roster. Kelly is a guy with very Matt Carpenter like skills meaning he has a very keen eye for the strike zone and will make the pitcher work. Kelly is kind of the polar opposite from a Randal Grichuk. He doesn’t swing at pitches outside of the strike zone and generally does not offer at a lot of pitches period .

According to an article by Lookout Landing, Kelly’s swing rate in 2013 was 30.8%. Who is the major league leader in this category you ask? None other than Matt Carpenter with 37.3% in 2013 and a 33.1% in 2014. This number translated to a gaudy .417 OBP for Kelly in 2013. While he may not have the best ST numbers to date Kelly’s ability to get on base via the BB and his ability to work the count will be very crucial in late inning PH opportunities. He will be used primarily as a utility infielder likely seeing time at 3B and 2B throughout the season regardless of where he ends up. If he can get a handle on MLB pitching then he could be a valuable asset on the bench especially if an infielder goes down.