The End of an Era in Pittsburgh
Kirby Yates, a Yavapai College product who carved out one of the more resilient careers in modern MLB bullpen history, made his first — and final — career start on Saturday, September 26, then announced his retirement from professional baseball.
The 39-year-old right-hander took the mound against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in a moment that was equal parts novelty and farewell. After 517 career relief appearances dating back to 2014, Yates opened the game as a starter, logging 1.2 innings and striking out one before exiting. It was a fitting capstone: a pitcher who built his reputation operating in high-leverage, short-burst situations getting one last unconventional moment in the spotlight. The Pirates lost 4-3, but the box score was beside the point.
Yates had only just returned from the 15-day injured list earlier in the week — Pittsburgh reinstated him and designated recently acquired righty Camilo Doval for assignment to make room on the roster. It raised eyebrows as a late-season roster decision, but it signaled the organization wanted to give Yates a proper sendoff. Three days before the start, he had appeared in a September 23 loss to St. Louis, throwing a clean inning with a strikeout and carrying a 3.32 ERA into his final appearance.
In the end, he finished at a tidy 3.19 ERA — a number that understates how dominant he was at his peak. Thirteen seasons, more than 500 appearances, and a retirement announced with quiet conviction. Not bad for a junior college kid out of Prescott, Arizona.
Merrill Kelly and the Arizona Playoff Push
While Yates was taking his bow, fellow Yavapai alum Merrill Kelly was locked in something far more urgent: keeping the Arizona Diamondbacks' postseason hopes alive.
Kelly started Thursday, September 24 against the Colorado Rockies in what amounted to a must-win situation for Arizona. He delivered 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on the way to a 5-3 Diamondbacks victory. The Rockies had just hit 100 losses on the season, and Arizona's 13-hit attack made it a relatively comfortable night — but Kelly's ability to eat innings and keep the bullpen fresh matters enormously for a club fighting for its playoff life.
Kelly's ERA sits at 4.94 on the season, a number that doesn't fully reflect the trust the Diamondbacks place in him as a rotation anchor in high-stakes games. With Arizona needing wins down the stretch, Kelly's next start looms large.
Two Yavapai alumni, two completely different but equally compelling stories to close out the season. Yates rides off into the sunset with a first career start as his final act. Kelly keeps grinding for October. The junior college in Prescott, Arizona has quietly punched well above its weight in producing MLB arms — and this week was a reminder of exactly that.
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