Keller (7-2) took the loss Tuesday, allowing five runs on eight hits and four walks over 5.1 innings in an 11-2 loss against Oakland. He struck out one.
Keller struggled Tuesday, tying his season high of four walks while setting a new low in strikeouts. The outing continued a concerning stretch of starts for Keller, who has accrued a 7.79 ERA and a 17:7 K:BB while allowing 25 hits over his last three starts (17.1 innings) after holding a 2.44 ERA with 77 strikeouts in his first 10 appearances (62.2 innings). Though fantasy managers were likely disappointed by his struggles against MLB's lowest-scoring offense, they shouldn't hesitate to come back to Keller for his next start, which is expected to come against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Strikes out eight in seventh win
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Keller (7-1) earned the win Wednesday, allowing four runs on 10 hits and one walk across six innings during a 9-4 victory over the Giants. He struck out eight.
Keller allowed a season-high 10 hits, but he got plenty of run support and cruised to his seventh win. The right-hander has given up 10 runs over his past two starts (12 innings) after surrendering just 13 across his previous nine appearances (58 innings). His ERA has ballooned to 3.25, but he still holds a superb 1.08 WHIP and 93:17 K:BB across 74.2 innings. Despite back-to-back rocky starts, Keller remains the ace of the Pirates' pitching staff and will look to reclaim his dominant form in his next start, which tentatively lines up as a home start versus Oakland.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Wins ugly Friday
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Keller (6-1) picked up the win Friday over the Mariners, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out eight over six-plus innings.
Keller versus George Kirby looked like a pitchers' duel on paper, but it ended up being a slugfest in practice. Keller was taken deep twice in his worst start since Opening Day, but he was still the better of the two starters. He's rarely one to give up many homers, having allowed just seven across 11 starts this season. The rough outing raised Keller's ERA to 3.01 with a 1.02 WHIP and 85:16 K:BB through 68.2 innings. He'll look to put this one behind him next week in San Francisco.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Impressive once more
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Keller did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits over six innings against the Diamondbacks. He struck out eight.
Keller worked his way through the Diamondbacks' lineup with relative ease, retiring 16 straight batters after allowing a solo homer to Ketel Marte in the first inning, racking up eight strikeouts without walking a single batter. Keller has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past month, allowing just five earned runs over his last five starts (33.0 innings), picking up four wins and boasting an incredible 47:3 K/BB over that stretch. The right-hander was on his way to picking up another win Saturday, handing the ball off to the bullpen with a 3-2 lead after six innings, but he had the win spoiled after Pavin Smith launched a two-run home run off Robert Stephenson to give Arizona the lead in the seventh. Keller is slated to take the mound next in a road series against the Mariners, who strike out at the second-highest rate in MLB.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Career-high 13 strikeouts in win
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Keller (5-1) earned the win Sunday, tossing seven scoreless innings in which he allowed four hits during a 4-0 win over the Orioles. He struck out 13 and did not issue a walk.
Keller recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts, marking his second game of the season with double digits, and he hasn't allowed a run over his past two starts (16 innings), lowering his ERA to 2.38. The right-hander has shown flashes before, but he's currently in the best stretch of his career and has a sterling 69:14 K:BB over 56.2 innings to start the season. Keller will look to continue his scoreless streak next time out, which is tentatively scheduled for the finale of a three-game weekend set versus Arizona.
Keller (4-1) earned the win Monday, tossing a complete-game shutout in which he allowed four hits and one walk during a 2-0 win over the Rockies. He struck out eight.
Keller struck out at least eight batters for a third straight outing and tossed his first career complete-game shutout, marking the first time a Pirate has reached that feat since Jameson Taillon did during the 2018 season. The right-hander has been superb to start the 2023 campaign and currently sports a 2.72 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 56:14 K:BB through eight starts (49.2 innings). Keller will look to maintain his momentum in his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for a three-game weekend set in Baltimore.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Strikes out eight in loss
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Keller (3-1) took the loss Wednesday, allowing five runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk over five innings during an 8-1 loss to Tampa Bay. He struck out eight.
The 26-year-old was sharp but a pair of errors and Shane McClanahan's dominant outing for the Rays were too much for the right-hander to overcome. Keller was able to get through only five innings, snapping a streak of five straight quality starts, but he did strike out at least eight batters for the third time this season. Across seven starts (40.2 innings), Keller sports a 3.32 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP and a 48:13 K:BB. He'll look to maintain his strong production during his next start, which should come next week versus Colorado.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Strikes out 10 in win
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Keller (3-0) earned the win Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings against the Dodgers. He struck out 10.
Keller allowed a pair of runs in the first inning but managed to skirt further damage with a 10-strikeout performance, setting a new season high. The 27-year-old Keller now has five consecutive quality starts, lowering his ERA to 3.53 with a 1.21 WHIP and 40:12 K:BB over 35.2 innings. He'll look to keep his breakout season rolling in his next outing, tentatively scheduled for next week in Tampa Bay.
Keller (2-0) picked up the win Friday in a 4-2 victory over the Reds, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out five.
The right-hander continues to deal to begin the season, as Keller tossed 89 pitches (50 strikes) while delivering his fourth straight quality start. The 27-year-old will carry a 3.64 ERA and 30:11 K:BB through 29.2 innings into his next outing, likely to come next week at home against the Dodgers.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Grinds out another quality start
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Keller did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings against the Cardinals. He struck out three.
Keller surrendered a run in the opening frame and then kept the Cardinals' bats quiet until the sixth when Lars Nootbaar tied the game at three with a two-run blast to right field. Keller commented after the game that he didn't feel "too crisp" during the outing but still found a way to grind out a third consecutive quality start. The 27-year-old will take a 3.80 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and a 25:10 K:BB over 23.2 innings into his next start, which is projected to take place at home against the Reds.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Sleeper pitchers for Week 4 (April 17-23)
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Mitch Keller now boasts a six-pitch arsenal, and he's been deploying it perfectly to keep hitters off balance. The Reds can be dangerous when they're home at their homer-friendly ballpark, but Keller should be able to handle them in Pittsburgh.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Possible waiver wire pickups
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Tuesday's outing makes it back-to-back quality starts for Mitch Keller, and what's particularly impressive about this one is it came against the defending World Series champions. He had just 11 swinging strikes on 94 pitches after having 10 on 107 last time, but he's finding success in other ways, namely by keeping hitters guessing with an expanded arsenal of six pitches. He threw the sweeper most in this one, but it was the fastball last time and the cutter the time before. Between that and improved command (he's thrown 68 percent of his pitches for strikes compared to 63 last year), hitters just aren't squaring him up, and it's reason to roster him in all formats during what's been a frustrating period for pitchers.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Pitches well against Astros
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Keller did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over six innings against the Astros. He struck out seven.
Keller gave up both of his runs on solo homers. Alex Bregman took him deep in the first inning, and Kyle Tucker connected off the right-hander an inning later. From that point on Keller was outstanding, but he just didn't get the run support necessary to factor into the decision. Keller now has a 3.57 ERA, 22:8 K:BB and 1.36 WHIP across 17.2 innings over his first three starts.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Possible waiver wire pickups
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Mitch Keller has long teased us with his potential and finally delivered the gem we were hoping for Wednesday. He looked like a changed pitcher in spring training, leaning heavily on a new cutter, but interestingly, he threw it only 21 percent of the time in this one after making it his primary pitch in his first start. I do think there's more bat-missing potential with it in his repertoire, and he's now thrown 68.1 percent of his pitches for strikes this year compared to 62.8 percent last year. Of course, pitching for the Pirates isn't ideal, but with the offensive assault happening in baseball right now, it's a beggars-can't-be-choosers situation at starting pitcher.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Sharp in first win
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Keller (1-0) picked up the win Wednesday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over seven innings in a 4-1 victory over the Red Sox. He struck out seven.
The win almost slipped away from him in the seventh, as a tiring Keller left a pitch over the plate that Reese McGuire nearly hooked inside Pesky's Pole for a three-run homer to tie the game, but replay showed that the ball was just foul. The right-hander then struck McGuire out to end his day. Keller threw a hefty 107 pitches in total with a strong 33.6 percent CSW rate, but the Pirates are counting on the 27-year-old to develop into a workhorse this season. Through his first two starts, Keller sports a 3.86 ERA and 15:6 K:BB in 11.2 innings, and he lines up for a potential two-step next week, facing the Astros at home before a weekend series in St. Louis.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Fans eight in no-decision
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Keller did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks over 4.2 innings against the Reds. He struck out eight.
Keller was an out away from qualifying for the win, but he gave up a two-out, two-run triple to Jason Vosler in the bottom of the fifth inning to lose the lead. He threw an even 100 pitches in his 2023 debut, inducing 15 swinging strikes. The 26-year-old righty may never break out as a star player, but he's in the streaming conversation. Keller lines up for a road start in Boston next week.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Rolls through Twins
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Keller allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks while striking out seven across 4.2 innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.
Keller has done a good job of limiting runs for much of spring training, though he showcased strikeout upside with his performance Saturday. Through 329.1 career innings in the majors, Keller has a 21.1 percent strikeout rate, so it's worth keeping a spring training performance in context. However, he closed the 2022 campaign in strong form and will be given every opportunity to lead Pittsburgh's rotation in 2023.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Draws Opening Day assignment
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The Pirates named Keller their starting pitcher for their Opening Day game March 30 in Cincinnati, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Keller will be rewarded with the Opening Day nod after he overcame a rough start to the 2022 campaign to sharpen his command and control from about mid-May onward, finishing the season with a 3.22 ERA over his final 120.1 innings. He's carried over that success through his first four appearances of the Grapefruit League slate (4.09 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 13:1 K:BB in 11 innings) while also incorporating a new slider/cutter hybrid into his repertoire. Wins will likely still be hard to come by for Keller while he's pitching for a Pirates squad that remains in rebuilding mode, but the right-hander could prove to be a solid contributor in the ratio categories during his fifth season in the majors.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Adds to repertoire
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Keller allowed one hit and no walks while striking out two across two scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.
Keller performed well in his spring debut while facing a mix of Toronto's regulars and reserves. Per Justice delos Santos of MLB.com, Keller also debuted a new pitch that is a cross between a slider and cutter. Keller took a step forward in 2022, posting a 3.91 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, and he will be relied upon by the Pirates as a key part of their rotation throughout the upcoming campaign.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Will start Grapefruit League opener
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Keller will start the Pirates' Grapefruit League opener Saturday against the Blue Jays, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Keller also figures to get the nod for Pittsburgh on Opening Day of the regular season. The 26-year-old right-hander experienced a lot of ups and downs during the 2022 campaign but ultimately delivered an overall 3.91 ERA with 138 strikeouts in 159 innings. He had a shiny 2.20 ERA in his final 41 frames.
