Thursday marks one week since the Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton and promoted Don Kelly to the leadership position. One week does not a season make, but it’s enough time to draw some conclusions about Kelly’s managerial style. It may not have quite the same ring as Lloyd Bentsen telling Dan Quayle, “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy,” but after a week, it’s clear that Don Kelly is no Derek Shelton.
This Just In: Pirates Manager Kelly is No Shelton
That’s a good thing. Shelton, who was 306-440 as Pirates manager, was unpopular with the fans, as would any manager with a .410 winning percentage. Fans frequently second-guessed his in-game strategy. While hindsight is 20/20, it’s also clear that Kelly is showing himself to be the superior strategist.
Nothing here is to suggest that Kelly will work miracles with the Pirates roster as presently constructed. At 15-29, they will be lucky to win 70 games regardless of who’s managing. As a team, they’ve batted .219/.300/.327 with 31 home runs and 135 runs scored at the close of Wednesday’s action. Only three teams have worse batting averages. Their slugging percentage is the lowest in the majors. Only the Kansas City Royals have hit fewer home runs. Even so, Kelly is making an impact as a strategist and motivator.
Kelly’s First Move
Kelly made his first decision as Pirates manager before the start of his first game at the helm last Friday against the Atlanta Braves, and it was a good one. His original lineup card had free agent flop Tommy Pham in left field, hitting eighth. However, he liked something he saw from Alexander Canario during batting practice. A few minutes before game time, he revised the lineup and substituted Canario for Pham. Canario responded with an opposite-field, solo home run in the third inning off Braves starter Bryce Elder. The Bucs needed that run. They won Kelly’s first game, 3-2.
Canario has started every game since Kelly became the manager. In those six games, Canario is 8-for-21 with two doubles and that home run. It’s unlikely that Canario is going to turn into Ted Williams under Kelly’s leadership. But it’s bold on Kelly’s part to ride a hot hand in Canario while Pham and his $4.025 million pay ride the bench. It’s improbable that Shelton, who might have been involved in the decision to sign Pham, would have done this same thing.
Kelly and the Bullpen
A sharper contrast from Shelton is found in Kelly’s handling of the Pirates’ bullpen. On Friday, after starter Bailey Falter pitched two-hit shutout ball for six innings and reached his pitch count, Kelly began the seventh inning with right-handed Chase Shugart on the mound. Shugart retired the first two batters and issued a walk. When Braves manager Brian Snitker sent up left-handed batter Alex Verdugo to pinch hit, Kelly countered with left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson. Ferguson struck out Verdugo. The move barely registered a blip on the baseball radar screen. But it was noteworthy because it was the type of situational move Shelton rarely made with the bullpen. Shelton usually didn’t pull relief pitchers until they’d already given up a run. It seems Kelly would rather pull a pitcher too soon than too late.
On Sunday, the Pirates got a surprisingly good start from struggling Carmen Mlodzinski, who pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings before Kelly decided he’d had enough. Pittsburgh had a 3-0 lead at the time. Left-hander Ryan Borucki finished the sixth, breezed through the seventh, and retired the first two in the eighth. That Borucki was in the game that long was another departure from Shelton. Usually, Shelton used relievers for multiple innings only in lost causes, rarely when he was winning. With right-handed-hitting Austin Riley due, Kelly signaled for right-hander Tanner Rainey. Rainey gave up a single, a double, and a walk. In came Joey Wentz, who surrendered a game-tying double to pinch-hitter Sean Murphy. So, while the switch to Rainey backfired, it again demonstrated Kelly’s proclivity toward situational bullpen moves.
Steals, Bunts, and Lineups
In addition to his handling (or mishandling) of the bullpen, other criticisms directed at Shelton included his reluctance to utilize the sacrifice bunt and the stolen base, although he turned his baserunners loose to steal more frequently this season, and his failure to stick to a set lineup. For what it’s worth, in a small sample size of six games, Kelly has availed himself of 15.4 percent of opportunities to steal second base and 5.8 percent of sacrifice bunt opportunities. Furthermore, Kelly has used five different lineups in his six games. Some of that may have to do with Oneil Cruz being day-to-day with back issues.
The Kelly Factor
There’s also an intangible factor at work. Since Kelly took over, the Pirates don’t seem to get so down in the mouth when they fall behind. The body language is different. There are no “here-we-go-again” vibes when the opponent scores a run. In the Sunday game, after the Braves tied it, the Pirates scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to win it. In the just-concluded series in New York against the Mets, the Pirates lost two of three. But in the two losses, they rallied and scored when they were down, only to have the Mets bounce back and win. The Pirates rarely displayed that type of determination under Shelton in 2024 and 2025. It wasn’t a bad showing on the road against a 28-16 team.
It’s clear the Pirates prefer playing under Kelly. Only Andrew McCutchen expressed any regret about Shelton’s firing. Paul Skenes told the gathered media, “Unfortunately, I wasn’t shocked. At the end of the day, I mean, we’re 12 and, I don’t know, 27 or 26 or whatever, so, someone’s gotta be held accountable.” His tone was blasé, similar to how one might say, “The hamburgers are ready.”
Paul Skenes on the Derek Shelton firing
“I wasn’t shocked, we’re 12-26. Someone’s gotta be held accountable.” pic.twitter.com/ebHKujoxKF
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 9, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who was vocal about his unhappiness in Pittsburgh, has changed his tune under Kelly, telling Dominic Campbell of Sports Illustrated, “[T]his is the Pirates [sic] I envisioned at the beginning of the year or when I got traded here. I think DK is keeping everybody loose and I think we’re all just rallying around him. We all love him. He’s our guy, and to have him at the helm, you can see the energy. You can see the life in the dugout. We just looked like a ball club again. We look like a real team.”
The Last Word
The big test for Kelly might come when the Pirates hit a prolonged losing streak. So far, however, Pirates enthusiasts should be pleased with his aggressive decision-making. Kelly doesn’t seem like one who’s going to sit around and watch his team lose without trying to do something about it. What effect the Kelly Factor will have in the long run remains to be seen.
Main Photo Credits: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
The post Don Kelly’s First Week as Pirates Manager Shows He’s No Derek Shelton appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.