Former Dodgers Fan Favorite Joe Kelly Returns to Baseball in New Role

Joe Kelly kinda sorta announced his retirement from pitching in December, after aborting his comeback ambitions with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.

For his next act, the 38-year-old pitcher will be a coach.

The Corona High School baseball team announced Tuesday on Instagram that it has hired Kelly as an assistant coach.

"Welcome Home Joe!" the post read. "Joe will be an amazing addition to the coaching staff and will focus on working with our pitchers."

Corona High School is Kelly's alma mater. A native of the Inland Empire, Kelly stayed close to home for college at UC Riverside, then was chosen in the third round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

While pitching for the Dodgers, Kelly continued to make his home in the Inland Empire, so the "homecoming" won't require him to uproot.

Corona High School is also the alma mater of Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel's eldest baseball-playing son. Brady Ebel was the No. 32 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Remarkably, three other Panthers were chosen in last year's draft — pitcher Seth Hernandez (Pittsburgh Pirates, No. 6 overall), shortstop Billy Carlson (Chicago White Sox, No. 10) and utility player Ethin Bingaman (Arizona Diamondbacks, No. 603 overall).

Suffice it to say, Kelly isn't taking over the Bad News Bears. This year, the Panthers went 24-9 and finished the season ranked No. 12 in the state. Senior Trey Ebel, Brady's younger brother, was among the team's best players.

Kelly will have ample experience to draw from as a major league starter, reliever and a can't-miss prospect who reached the majors a day past his 24th birthday.

Kelly finished his career with a 54-38 record and a 3.98 ERA in 485 career games. The right-hander finished the 2023 and 2024 seasons in Los Angeles, making 46 appearances out of the Dodgers' bullpen after arriving in a July 2023 trade with the Chicago White Sox.

Kelly helped the Dodgers end their 32-year World Series drought in 2020, beating the Tampa Bay Rays. Two years earlier, he helped the Boston Red Sox beat the Dodgers in a five-game World Series.

Will Kelly break out his World Series rings when he needs to make a point to his new pupils? Or his Carlos Correa "pouty face" when a high schooler pulls an attitude?

Maybe not — but they're nice tools to have in your coaching belt.

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