Keone Kela Stats & Scouting Report

IP	1.2
ERA	16.2
WHIP	2.4
BB/9	16.2
SO/9	21.6

Full name Keone Cole Kela
Born 04/16/1993 in Los Angeles, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Everett CC
Debut 04/07/2015
Drafted in the 12th round (396th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2012 (signed for $100,000).

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Kela spent the first three years of his high school career in California before moving up to Seattle last year for his senior year. He was a 29th-round pick by the Mariners out of Chief Sealth High last June, but instead of signing and heading to Everett to pitch for the AquaSox, he headed to Everett Community College to pitch for the Trojans. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Kela pitched in the 88-91 mph range last year, but is now sitting 91-93 out of the bullpen and touches 95. He throws a slurvy breaking ball that shows flashes of being an average slider. Kela has some effort to his delivery but has worked this season to clean up his lower half, as he was locking up his front side and has some arm recoil. With the effort comes below-average control. With his two-pitch mix and his aggressive mechanics, Kela profiles as a middle reliever in pro ball.

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Ar Everett (Wash.) CC, Kela's fastball went from touching the low 90s to reaching the mid-90s. The Rangers grabbed Kela for $100,000 as a 12th-round pick in 2012, and he's proved to be a late-round gem, with his velocity climbing into the triple-digits in 2013. He has one of the best fastballs in the minors, sitting in the upper 90s and reaching 100 mph with explosive late life, though there were times early in the season when his velocity dipped. Kela throws a power curveball that flashes plus with three-quarters break, a pitch he's improved but still requires more consistently. He dabbles with a changeup but is mostly a twopitch reliever. Kela has the stuff to miss bats in the zone and generate groundballs at an above-average clip, but he needs to throw more strikes after walking 5.7 batters per nine innings in 2014, mostly at Double-A Frisco. Kela is ready for Triple-A Round Rock in 2015, but he could reach Texas quickly with a chance to pitch high-leverage innings and possibly emerge as a future closer.
Kela spent his first three years of high school in California before moving to Seattle for his senior season. Rather than sign with the Mariners as a 29th-round pick in 2011, Kela went to nearby Everett (Wash.) CC, where he saw his fastball jump from 88-91 mph to 91-93 and touching 95. After signing with the Rangers for $100,000 as a 12th-rounder in 2012, Kela's velocity continued to climb. He's now one of the hardest throwers in the minors, sitting at 96-99 mph and touching 101 out of the bullpen. It's a fastball with both premium velocity and late life, which helps him rack up strikeouts and groundballs at an above-average rate. His breaking ball is inconsistent, with hard, slurve-like break. He hasn't used his changeup much, so it's still raw, but if his slider continues to mature he should be able to have success as a two-pitch reliever. Kela came into pro ball with a lot of effort in his mechanics, but he's done a nice job of smoothing his delivery to some degree, which has helped improve his controls. Kela, who missed a month in 2013 with arm tightness in the spring, has peaked at low Class A Hickory, but some promising outings in the Arizona Fall League and Venezuelan League could help accelerate his timetable.
The Mariners made Kela a 29th-round pick in 2011 but failed to sign him out of a Seattle high school, so he headed to Everett (Wash.) CC. The Rangers had better luck getting him under contract as a 12th-rounder in 2012, signing him for $100,000. Kela's velocity has increased exponentially in two years, jumping from 89-91 mph in high school to 96-98 with a peak of 100 in short stints. His athleticism allowed him to clean up his delivery after signing and get more extension out front, which did wonders for his overall control. Texas believes his mid-80s slider has above-average potential. He's only now working on a changeup that he'll need as he attempts to transition from reliever to starter in 2013. Kela's fastball features plenty of late life, so he'll profile as a relief prospect if starting doesn't work out. He could open his first full pro season in low Class A.

Draft Prospects

Kela spent the first three years of his high school career in California before moving up to Seattle last year for his senior year. He was a 29th-round pick by the Mariners out of Chief Sealth High last June, but instead of signing and heading to Everett to pitch for the AquaSox, he headed to Everett Community College to pitch for the Trojans. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Kela pitched in the 88-91 mph range last year, but is now sitting 91-93 out of the bullpen and touches 95. He throws a slurvy breaking ball that shows flashes of being an average slider. Kela has some effort to his delivery but has worked this season to clean up his lower half, as he was locking up his front side and has some arm recoil. With the effort comes below-average control. With his two-pitch mix and his aggressive mechanics, Kela profiles as a middle reliever in pro ball.