Mitch Keller has put together an amazing season this year, with a 2.35 ERA in 130.1 innings, along with a 138:19 K/BB ratio. He’s been our West Virginia Pitcher of the Month three times out of the five months of the minor league season. But he’s yet to win the overall monthly award. That is until now. After combining for an 0.83 ERA in 32.2 innings between West Virginia and Bradenton, along with a 38:5 K/BB ratio, Keller is the Pirates Prospects Pitcher of the Month for August.
Keller’s month got off to a bit of a slow start, giving up three runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings. Those were the last runs he gave up during the regular season. He followed that up with 23 shutout innings in his final four starts in West Virginia, along with a 28:4 K/BB ratio. That earned him a late promotion to Bradenton, where he made his debut last week, pitching six shutout innings, with a walk and seven strikeouts.
The most impressive thing about Keller’s run of success is that his stuff may have been more impressive than the stats. His fastball has increased to sitting 94-97 MPH at the end of the year, touching 98 a few times, and 99 once. He was working off the fastball in West Virginia, and was completely dominant with the pitch. He would throw the fastball exclusively until teams figured it out, and that sometimes didn’t happen. In one start, he threw 48 straight fastballs before throwing his first off-speed pitch in the fourth inning, and he only made the switch to work on his other pitches, and not because he needed to throw something else to get outs.
Because of that, it was easy to see why he was promoted to Bradenton, as South Atlantic League hitters weren’t challenging him anymore. He didn’t get much of a challenge in his Bradenton debut, but did have to move off the fastball earlier, as opposing hitters were trying to sit on that in the second and third inning. He started mixing in his curveball more often, and ended up with six shutout innings and seven strikeouts on the night.
Keller will get at least one more start in the post-season for Bradenton. He should start next year in Bradenton, but could move up to Altoona by mid-season with his advanced stuff and mature approach.
PITCHERS OF THE MONTH BY LEVEL
Indianapolis – Trevor Williams, RHP (1.78 ERA, 32:7 K/BB, 35.1 IP)
Altoona – Alex McRae, RHP (2.09 ERA, 34:8 K/BB, 38.2 IP)
Bradenton – Yeudy Garcia, RHP (3.03 ERA, 24:11 K/BB, 29.2 IP)
West Virginia – Mitch Keller, RHP (1.01 ERA, 31:4 K/BB, 26.2 IP)
Morgantown – Luis Escobar, RHP (2.72 ERA, 37:11 K/BB, 36.1 IP)
Bristol – Matt Eckelman, LHP (2.25 ERA, 29:4 K/BB, 32.0 IP)
GCL – Max Kranick, RHP (1.64 ERA, 16:2 K/BB, 22.0 IP)
