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First Pitch: Scouting Mitch Keller, Braeden Ogle, and Max Kranick

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I’ve got a pretty busy Tuesday lined up. The GCL Pirates were rained out on Monday, giving them a double-header on Tuesday. The expected starters are 2016 prep pitchers Braeden Ogle and Max Kranick. This will be the first time I see Ogle pitch, and the second time seeing Kranick. The first time I saw him, he only threw two innings. Both guys are up to five innings now, which should allow for a good look.

Then, the main event is Mitch Keller’s debut in Bradenton that night across town. I’ve seen Keller twice this year in West Virginia, along with a few times in Spring Training, but this will be a different look, seeing him against a higher level of competition.

I don’t think you could ask for a better pitching lineup for a triple-header.

To serve as a preview for tomorrow, here is a rundown of each player.

Braeden Ogle, LHP – Ogle has a 3.18 ERA in 22.2 innings, with a 14:9 K/BB ratio this season. He has dealt with some command issues the last two starts, with six walks in nine innings. The reported pre-draft velocity was 91-93 MPH, touching 96, although the fastball command wasn’t reported as strong. He’s very comfortable with his changeup, throwing it as his primary secondary pitch for most of his life. He’s working on a new slider that he added this year in high school, using Noah Syndergaard as a guide. A left-hander with some projection and the ability to touch 96 is an interesting prospect, especially with a good changeup. If he can improve the slider and develop an out pitch, he’ll be an actual prospect in no time.

http://18.206.184.11/2016/07/pirates-draft-pick-braeden-ogles-new-slider-was-inspired-by-noah-syndergaard.html

Max Kranick, RHP – My lone view of Kranick this year wasn’t the best situation. It was his pro debut, and he had some command issues, giving up a walk in two innings. That was actually one of just two walks he’s allowed this year in 30.2 innings, with a 2.64 ERA and 17 strikeouts in that time. So the command issues seem to be limited to that outing. The draft reports had him hitting 95-96 MPH, and the hope is that his projectable frame will allow him to sit mid-90s one day, rather than just hitting it. I had him 89-92 with his two-seamer and 93-94 with the four-seamer earlier in the year. He’s another guy who has a good changeup, focusing on the pitch a lot in his younger years. He also doesn’t have much of a breaking pitch, adding a curveball this year to replace his slider, which wasn’t effective. The curve has 12-to-6 break, but he’s looking to find a consistent release point. I didn’t see many in the game earlier in the season, but did see him throw it in bullpens, and he has the tendency to spike it short of the plate at times, showing the need for more improvements. Despite being taken in the 11th round, Kranick might be the best prep pitcher the Pirates took this year, at least evaluating where everyone is at right now.

http://18.206.184.11/2016/07/pirates-11th-rounder-max-kranick-showing-promise-with-his-new-curveball.html

Mitch Keller, RHP – I saw Keller a few weeks ago, and he looked fantastic. He was sitting 94-97 MPH with his fastball, and has been in that range for at least a month now. I think the thing that is most impressive about him lately is that he has been dominating only with his fastball. This isn’t because he doesn’t have good secondary stuff, but because he’s working off his fastball until opponents figure it out, and they’re just not figuring it out. It gets to the point where he needs to force himself to throw off-speed stuff in the fourth and fifth innings, just to get work on those pitches. We’ll see if that holds up in Bradenton, but he was not getting challenged at all by the end of his time in West Virginia. That’s a big reason why I wrote that he looks better than Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow did at the same level. Keller is turning into a special pitcher, and I’m looking forward to his High-A debut.

http://18.206.184.11/2016/08/mitch-keller-looks-better-than-taillon-and-glasnow-did-in-west-virginia.html

Tomorrow will be a busy, but fun day. Wilbur Miller will also be covering the games with me, and providing his thoughts. Check out the Prospect Watch throughout the day for recaps, videos, and interviews. If you aren’t a subscriber, tomorrow is a good day to join us.

**With Rosters Expanding Soon, a Look at the Pirates’ Call-Up Candidates. A great article by Brian Peloza, breaking down the candidates for a September call-up later this week.

**Pirates Recall Steven Brault; Place Gerrit Cole on Disabled List. It’s good that Cole is only dealing with inflammation, and no structural damage.

**Prospect Watch: Nick Kingham Looks Strong in Return to Altoona. Sean McCool had a live report on Kingham’s rehab start in Altoona.

**The Twenty: Gage Hinsz and Adrian Valerio Lead the System This Week. One of my favorite features, with a lot of good notes in one place on the top 20 performers from the last week.

**Ke’Bryan Hayes Has Rehab Shut Down With a Cracked Rib. Hayes has a setback with his rehab, and if it wasn’t official before, he won’t be returning for the rest of the season.

**Morning Report: Pirates Invite Nine Players to Fall Instructional League. John Dreker reports that nine players are making the jump from the DSL for instructs.

Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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