"They basically said, 'Get your sh*t together'" - D-Backs ace Merrill Kelly recalls being called the worst pitcher in MLB by his manager

Merrill Kelly is one of the recognized pitchers with a decent reputation. The Arizona Diamondbacks starter has had glorious moments in his career, especially in the majors, but has trodden the rough road to success.

In a recent interview with Chris Rose Sports, Kelly recalled the moment when he was called the worst pitcher in MLB by his manager, Torey Lovullo. The 35-year-old was in Milwaukee when he was called the worst statistical pitcher in the NL.

According to Kelly, it was one of his worst experiences and was also one of the reasons why he left for Korea. The incident occurred in 2019 when Lovullo pulled Kelly into the office and said that he needed him to be the guy he was every five days.

"They basically said, 'Get your sh*t together, or your going to the bullpen essentially," Merrill Kelly said in the interview.

Kelly was going through a poor phase when he was called out for his poor performance.

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Merrill Kelly believes the incident had a positive outcome

It's not easy for pitchers to go out every four or five days and perform their best. For Merrill Kelly, it was one of those times when he needed to pick up the pace, but he believes that the incident had a positive outcome.

"I think it was probably for the best, it kind of put my back up against the wall and kind of forced me to get through the roadblocks," Kelly said.

Lovullo's words helped him to get back on track. Kelly said that he was looking at hitters in the big league on a high pedestal. He viewed them for more than what they were.

"I was still viewing the big leagues and viewing big league hitters as maybe more than what there were," Kelly continued.

The incident helped him snap out of his mindset and helped him progress as a player. The veteran pitcher returned stronger and pitched an excellent 2023 MLB season for the Diamondbacks.

Kelly ended his regular season with a 3.29 ERA in 177-plus innings. In the postseason, he held a 3-1 record with a 2.25 ERA and a spectacular WHIP of 0.83. The Diamondbacks were pleased with his performance, as he played a key role in their World Series run.

Kelly became the first player to win a game in the World Series and the Korean Series.