Antoine Kelly makes MLB debut with Cubs

FRISCO, Texas (August 1, 2026) - Former Frisco RoughRiders LHP Antoine Kelly made his MLB debut with the Chicago Cubs on Friday, July 31st, in their game against the Yankees. He is the 11th player in 2026 who will go on the Road to the Show wall, driven by Advondale Dealerships.

Kelly, 26, pitched 1.1 scoreless innings at Wrigley Field without allowing a hit. He picked up his first career big league strikeout against Spencer Jones.

The Chicago, IL native was picked up by the Cubs for cash in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in June after starting the year with Triple-A Oklahoma City. After the trade, the lefty reliever posted a 2.79 ERA in 13 appearances for Triple-A Iowa before his call-up.

Between the Brewers, Rangers, Rockies, Dodgers and Cubs organizations, Kelly pitched in 192 career Minor League games before making his MLB debut.

Originally a second-round pick by Milwaukee out of Wabash Valley Community College in 2019, Kelly spent parts of three seasons with the RoughRiders. In 51 career appearances for Frisco, the reliever logged a 3.45 ERA across 70.1 innings and was a perfect 11-for-11 in save opportunities. His efforts in 2023 for the Riders earned him a Texas League Postseason All-Star selection.

With Kelly’s debut Friday, there have now been 236 players in RoughRiders franchise history to make the major leagues. Kelly joins Geraldo Carrillo, Kohl Drake, Emiliano Teodo, Gavin Collyer, Peyton Gray, Robbie Ahlstrom, Mitch Bratt, Cam Cauley, Winston Santos and Abimelec Ortiz in 2026.

For tickets and more information about the Frisco RoughRiders, visit RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.

About the RoughRiders

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the 2022 Texas League champions. In 2023, the team celebrated its 20th anniversary and has consistently finished in the top five among all Double-A franchises in attendance yearly. In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, Bullpen Bar, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 225 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball including current Rangers Jack Leiter, Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].