CHARLESTON, WV – No one expected Mitch Keller to be as utterly dominant as he has been this year, coming off an injury-shortened 2015 in which he only made six starts. Just comparing the two seasons gives you an idea of what a boon a clean bill of health can be:
2015: 19.2 IP, 5.49 ERA, 18 R, 12 ER, 16 BB, 25 K, 2.09 WHIP
2016: 67 IP, 2.42 ERA, 18 R, 18 ER, 7 BB, 76 K, 0.81 WHIP
In 2015, Keller never went more than four innings in a start. In 2016, Keller hasn’t gone less than four innings in a start. He has given up more than two runs only twice and has never issued more than one walk in a start. He throws a strike just under 70 percent of the time.
When the Pirates drafted Keller, some scouts had questions about his control, but after an adjustment during the off-season, Keller has put those fears to bed. His minuscule walk rate helped earn him the starting spot in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Lexington. In the game, Keller continued to impress, striking out two in his perfect opening frame.
Keller attributes some of that success to his working relationship with catcher Christian Kelley.
“[He’s] calling a really good game behind the plate, keeping me in the zone,” said Keller.
Kelley has caught all but one of Keller’s starts in 2016, even though backup catcher John Bormann worked with Keller in Bristol in 2015.
Part of what has made Keller so successful this season is his velocity. Few players in Low-A throw in the mid-90s so hitters have difficulty timing Keller’s fastball. He has been working with pitching coach Matt Ford to put on more velocity in bullpen sessions.
Keller says he has been working with Ford on “getting my momentum towards home plate,” which would give his fastball even more oomph.
In addition to the fastball, Keller throws a sharp breaking ball that fools hitters hoping to feed off the slower pitch. The combination of these two pitches has impressed Power manager Brian Esposito, who described them both as plus pitches.
In 2015, Keller started to develop his changeup, which, according to Esposito, will be the key to success at the higher levels.
“To be a starter at the big league level, you need that third pitch,” said Esposito. “You need something that will be able to equalize and get guys off your fastball, especially some left-handed hitters.”
Mitch Keller has confidence in the changeup and continues to work on it in his bullpen sessions.
“It’s really coming along nicely,” said Keller. “It’s been a pretty good pitch for me this year.”
That level of confidence leads to a strong changeup as pitchers become more comfortable throwing it in various situations. As Esposito explained, “When you’re looking at developing your changeup, you have to have faith in it, you have to believe in it, you have to throw it with conviction, and he’s that kind of kid that’s going to go out there with the task at hand, and use his changeup.”
The ease with which Keller approaches and delivers all his pitches puts him in a class unto himself on the Power. His easy, repeatable delivery does not seem to be putting any further strain on his forearm, which held him back at the start of 2015. As a fully healthy starter at the top of the Power rotation, it has now become clear what heights Keller can achieve.
