The Determined Society with Shawn French
Life After MLB: Levi Kelly’s Raw Path from Pro Baseball to MMA Fighter
Mon, 11 Nov
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Join former MLB prospect Levi Kelly as he opens up about his intense journey from professional baseball to MMA. From navigating the challenging "priority player" politics within the Diamondbacks organization to overcoming setbacks and finding his true passion in the fighting world, Levi shares raw stories of betrayal, resilience, and self-discovery. He reflects on clashes with coaches, the struggle for respect, and how his West Virginia roots shaped his relentless mindset. This episode dives deep into the determination it takes to reinvent yourself when life throws unexpected curveballs. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation filled with grit, honesty, and lessons for anyone facing adversity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What challenges did Levi Kelly face in his baseball career?
I remember I got hurt and the pitching coordinator, he started talking to me different. So I was like, I had this little bit of like, I can fuck you up. And I wasn't afraid to voice that. I remember when I got hurt, he came into the dugout and was like, what the fuck are you doing? Like this shit doesn't even play an A ball. And I'm like, dude, who the fuck do you think you're talking to?
I'm from West Virginia, bro. I don't give a fuck if you're the coordinator or not. I'll fucking smack you right across the face, right? Like, at the end of the day, take all this bullshit off. Like, bro, I'm from West Virginia like the sticks. People look at me like I'm some Florida boy or whatever, which is cool. But in West Virginia, John can be our fucking dog. Oh, sure.
Like, I'll smack you right across your face. He came at me like that, and I was like, bro, what the fuck are you talking to? And I just remember that being a moment like, dude, you're just a number. Like you built a relationship with this guy and you think he's your friend. He's not your fucking friend. No, it was your base on your value. Right.
Sharp French, what up?
This one's luck, I let the pain inspire me. I put my all in everything I'm doing. Up until it's done, I mean for the entirety. I put in overtime. I be working. Just know I'm a gopher, man, because I earned it. They watching. I know it's time. I confirmed it. The whole society determined.
What's up, everybody?
Welcome back to another episode of The Determined Society. I'm your host, Sean Fritsch. If you haven't watched or listened to the episode, hit subscribe, follow along. Today I have with me an amazing guest, former baseball player. Shocker, I know. I don't have many baseball players on here. But Levi Kelly played at IMG, also local here in Fort Myers at Bishop Row for a cup of tea.
A brief little step.
Yeah, yeah. Had a brief commitment to LSU. Go Tigers. And then into the Diamondbacks organization in eighth round. And now he's doing some amazing things in MMA. So I'm excited to get into it, man. Welcome to the show.
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Chapter 2: How did Levi's upbringing in West Virginia influence his mindset?
Yeah. It's interesting because I remember when I was in high school and I don't know how it was. I mean, cause you were, well, you graduated in 2018, 2019, 2018. So like for me graduating in 1997, like I didn't, I didn't know what a weekend was. Yeah. I didn't fucking know what a weekend was, bro. Cause I was, I was trying to get there. Right. I was trying to play baseball, be really, really good.
And then nowadays, you know, like I'm working with athletes on, you know, on their mental performance and things, and I'm like, hey, what's on your schedule this weekend? Well, I'm gonna do this, and then I'm gonna go to play poker with all my teammates and go to this party. I'm like, the fuck? Like, that's a thing now, right? And it's hard for me to manage that type of demographic because
To me, it's like, what do you mean? Like, it's like you just go do your shit and then go home, go to sleep, and then wake back up in the morning and do it again.
Right. How was it for you? I'm that way as well, but I like that way. Yeah. I was almost, I feel like coming up, even in pro ball, looked at it a bit different because I enjoyed that. So it wasn't coming from a, I was misunderstood a bit because I think it came across as like, this dude's like an arrogant, kind of like try hard type guy. Yeah, yeah. but my hobbies were training. Yeah.
My hobbies were hiking. My hobbies were jujitsu. My hobbies were whatever. And where other guys, it's like drinking, gambling, all these other things, which whatever, as long as you're, you know, being responsible is fine. But for me, like the organization, especially with the Diamondbacks, what are you doing hiking? Like you're supposed to be like with your guys, whatever. And it's like,
dude, it doesn't stop. When I leave here, it doesn't stop for me. Like, this is really what I love to do. And it's not necessarily baseball, it's just training. That's why I do the MMA. It's like, if I can train for a living, I don't care if it's for pickleball. It doesn't matter. I just gotta train.
It's really cool. And it's funny you mentioned like, you were misunderstood as a player, right? You know, like an arrogant type, try hard. You know, it's funny because I've never got that read on you, but that reminds me of one of my athletes, one of my favorite athletes I've ever worked with. He's like a little brother to me now is Jackson Beeman. He was at Mizzou for a lot of years.
Now he's at Iowa and he gets that like coaches sometimes have a problem with him. Yeah. Because he's always doing weird shit, right? I'm saying air quotes for those of you that aren't watching on YouTube. Air quotes is weird shit. The dude's a fucking worker, man. He's sitting there being paid to go to school, right? So he can perform and hopefully go play in the minor leagues and work his way up.
Like, dude, what else do you have to do? Why are people being labeled weird and arrogant and try-hards for doing the right fucking shit?
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Chapter 3: What led Levi Kelly to transition from baseball to MMA?
I talk to him pretty frequently. I've talked to, he shot me a message the other day for my birthday. And then I talked to him maybe like two weeks ago. So I keep in touch with him, dude.
He's a solid dude.
He's a dude, man. He's a dude.
I got closer with him when I was at IMG training as a pro. In the off season, he was there doing football stuff or whatever.
He's amazing, dude. He's amazing. So catch everybody up now. MMA. MMA. I saw it. Hey, guys, I went and checked them out at the gym over at Evolution. What's the full name of it? What's it called?
Evolution in Naples, yeah.
Evolution in Naples. He was hanging out doing some sparring today. But not for me, dude. I don't want to get hit like that. You hit somebody with a leg kick. I'm like, dude, that shit would have broke my leg.
Yeah. The leg kick's my best shot for sure. Yeah, that's good. I mean, I snap it on guys in there, but I'm not letting it fly like how I want to fight. I fight in three weeks. So, like, then I'll be letting it fly.
Just nuts, dude. So, you mentioned earlier in the conversation, like, if you could just train – for a living, and that's what you're doing now, right? So walk everybody through this journey, man. Baseball to MMA.
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Chapter 4: How does Levi cope with fear and nerves before fights?
It's very interesting to me to look at the personality type and how that affects the body movement and just their whole life. And you can see it. You don't see too many hippies that are all tight,
daniel murphy you know you listen to the show like yeah like because i didn't know daniel from you know like personally before i was like i'm thinking i'm gonna get this savage dude it's like oh yeah like my kids like they're having a play about i'm like that's why you were the guy you can see it in his movements yeah like you can see his personality and the way he moves so good yeah so good
It's funny because, like, a lot of times, you know, when people are asking me about the show and about my interview style, how often do you practice? How much research do you do? I'm like, well, I know enough about my guests, right? But my thing is just, like, sitting down, like I told you before, like, hey, we're gonna have a fun conversation.
Because people on the other side of these microphones want real. And if I'm tight, if I have scripted questions, now I'm just integrating your ass, you know? The Spanish fucking inquisition, like, okay, where were you born? Okay, what's your favorite routine? Like, that's boring and it's whack. So it's your point, let's just all just kind of flow, right? How's it help you in MMA?
It's a struggle too because I'm the rigid guy. I know. I was raised by a Marine Corps dad. If you met my brother, he's even more rigid than I am. But I've tried to balance that because I've also went on other ends of the spectrum where I want to be so elusive that I don't have that same pop. So it's a balance of also not trying to be somebody I'm not.
Like I'm not a hippie, like whatever, like type Nate Diaz type style where I'm just going to tap you. Like I still need that because that's me, but it's about, I can't be too far on either end of the spectrum.
It's so hard, man. Like you mentioned something very important that I want the audience to really key in on because I think there's a lot of gold in the small things. Be yourself. There's too many people out there seeing somebody else and respecting something big about those people because of what they accomplished. I think that's a big compliment, but you can't be them.
You are one of a one, one of one limited edition. You cannot be them and they cannot be you. So like, we need to continue to think just like you said, just be yourself, you know, and, and, and be able to adapt, I think is the biggest thing that you're talking about.
Cause like you said, you're not this free flowing type, you know, the hippie, like you're, you're rigid, but I don't see you as rigid.
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Chapter 5: What lessons can athletes learn from Levi's journey?
Because it wasn't me. Last night, I'm dancing on a golf cart, singing a love song to my boy, Bobby Brown, Don't Be Cruel. That's me. I got more response out of that than people back in the day when I was regurgitating somebody else's shit.
It's crazy. I always tell people too, this is, I've stole this from somebody else, but you take two rocks, like the hardest things we have, and you fucking smash them together and grind them together, you're going to have dust and you can just blow it off your hand. But if you polish them, then you got two shiny objects. And I was always like that, like out.
And then my fucking shoulder went to dust. I feel you on that one, bro.
I feel you on that one. I remember going into Dr. Mark Field and saying, oh, no, you're good, man. You don't have anything wrong. I'm like, why does it feel there's a machete going into my shoulder then? It's like you want something so badly. And like you're saying, you grind it, you grind it. A lot of the times it's our body.
But the one thing that is more dangerous if you grind it consistently is your mind.
Yeah.
Because you can go into some dark places. And dude, in this journey, I've gone through some dark fucking moments, man. What about you? Has there ever been anything you want to share? Like a dark moment that you felt like shutting everything down that the audience can relate to that may be able to help them?
Um, there was definitely like some dark moments. I never got too beat up about it because my mindset was always like good intention, good intention. Like at some point in my career, I knew it was coming to an end because I just couldn't throw the same and my arm just did not feel the same.
And I always showed up every day and was like, I know this is coming to an end, but when it is over, I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror and be like, I did everything I could. And that was the biggest thing I was proud of. Like at the end of my career was one, I want to set an example for people that show up here that, Hey, this is how you work.
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Chapter 6: How do societal pressures affect young athletes today?
This one look, I let the pain inspire me. I put my all in everything I'm doing. Up until it's done, I'm me for the entirety. I put in overtime. I be working. Just know I'm a go for mine. Cause I earned it. They watching. I know it's time. I confirmed it. The whole society determined.