Opposing hitters might argue that the stuff tossed by Cardinals right-hander Joe Kelly was strong enough. But the 25-year-old improved his curveball over the offseason, which could make him even better. Add the confidence he gained from his 2013 success and there is a reason for the optimism expressed by general manager John Mozeliak.
"I think he started to understand his own identity," Mozeliak told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I think that's the natural maturation of getting experience. I definitely feel like there is more of a comfort level of how he pitched when he pitched. He doesn't quite seem like [he has] the swing-and-miss (velocity) like (Carlos) Martinez or (Michael) Wacha or (Shelby) Miller, but he still has horsepower and as he improves with a style of pitching it could be there."
Kelly's fastball has still been clocked at up to 98 mph. He showed it in a 12-start stint last season in which he went 9-2 with a 2.09 ERA.