Pirates A to Z: Mitch Keller's 11 no-hit innings over final two starts a strong sign of progress

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Anthony Alford to pitcher Trevor Williams.

Mitch Keller

Position: Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 24

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 205 pounds

2020 MLB statistics: 1-1, 2.91 ERA/1.246 WHIP in 21 2/3 innings over five starts.

Contract: Not yet eligible for arbitration.

Acquired: Drafted by the Pirates in the second round in 2014.

This past season: Keller entered the season as the top prospect in the organization, a kid coming into his own after a rocky rookie season. And he had high expectations, setting out to become not only a member of the Pirates’ starting rotation but one who would provide quality starts every five days.

Instead, Keller finished with five starts.

That several of them were quality was a strong sign for Keller, who spent six weeks on the injured list with a strained left oblique. He earned the victory in a 5-1 win at St. Louis on July 26, the first major-league managerial win for Pirates skipper Derek Shelton.

Keller didn’t get another win, despite a strong finish. He threw 11 consecutive no-hit innings to finish the season, following six scoreless innings in a 5-4 loss to the Cardinals on Sept. 19 by allowing one run (and eight walks) in five innings in a 4-3 loss at Cleveland on Sept. 25.

Mitch Keller is chasing history for the #Pirates. pic.twitter.com/vnF36d2dsm

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 20, 2020

“The eight walks really sucks. I don’t remember the last time I did that,” Keller said. “At the end of the day, I kept the team in it. I got through five innings with one run. That’s the big thing for me, taking the positive out of that and doing whatever I could to make it through at least five for us.”

Can't hit Mitch.

Mitch Keller becomes the first N.L. pitcher with back-to-back no-hit outings of 5+ innings since Johnny Vander Meer in 1938.#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/RkboorvinR

— Pirates (@Pirates) September 26, 2020

Throwing at least five no-hit innings in successive starts is a feat that had been accomplished in the National League only once since 1901, when the Cincinnati Reds’ Johnny Vander Meer threw back-to-back no-hitters in 1938.

“He threw five no-hit innings against a playoff team,” Shelton said. “We’d prefer more strikes, but I think it just shows the quality of the stuff. That’s pretty impressive without your best stuff. The fact that he leaves the season with 11 straight no-hit innings, that’s pretty good.”

In between, Keller had some rocky moments. He allowed more walks (18) than he had strikeouts (16), as his strikeouts per nine innings dropped from 12.2 in 2019 to 6.6 last season while his walks per nine increased from 3.0 to 7.5. He also allowed four home runs.

It was in his second start of the season, against the Cubs, that Keller knew something was wrong. He allowed five hits, including two home runs, and a walk in 2 2/3 innings before leaving with discomfort in his side. Keller didn’t make another start until Sept. 14.

“One of the things we’re really happy about, before he had the injury, was how he was progressing,” Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin said. “In his last start in St. Louis, he didn’t have his best stuff, but he rolled five innings and he limited that offense pretty well. The whole thing about it was, that was him (saying), ‘All right, I don’t have my best stuff today. What’s going to be the challenge today?’ We challenged him to change speeds, change eye levels. He was able to do those things.”

The Pirates identified a problem with Keller and worked with him to maintain his posture down the slope. And they believed that working with Jameson Taillon, who was rehabilitating from a second Tommy John surgery, was the best thing for Keller’s development. He got to pick Taillon’s brain about preparation and pitch sequencing.

“They talk every day, they watch the games together. When certain situations come up during the games, they’re talking about it,” Marin said. “What better influence than having Jamo right there with him? Those are the kind of things that that have helped him out. Every time he’s thrown a bullpen or live BP, we’re talking him through those situations: ‘Hey, what was the thought process behind that pitch? What’s your thought process in the location of this one?’ and then having him understand different things so he can keep growing, even without reps in a game.”

Congrats to Mitch and his wife, Clancy! ? pic.twitter.com/XpyRt9hgFr

— Pirates (@Pirates) November 16, 2020

The future: A positive sign for Keller was the effectiveness of his fastball, as he touched 97 mph and was able to locate it for strikes in his six no-hit innings against the Cardinals on Sept. 19.

“He was obviously really good. He just had a really good fastball, maybe the best I’ve seen since I’ve caught him in terms of where he was locating it and the overall life on it, playing up,” Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings said, noting that Keller threw mostly fastball-sliders to righties and fastball-curveballs to lefties. “The fastball was just really working and he was obviously able to use the off-speed stuff to get them off the heater and put ‘em away.”

The Pirates believe that Keller, who started last season as the organization’s top prospect, has the stuff to become a top-of-the-rotation starter, even if he has only 16 career major-league starts. He has to show more consistency and durability than he has in his first two seasons, but there is hope that the last two starts were a turning point.

The Pirates would love nothing more than to have Keller and Taillon at the top of their starting rotation, though both have a lot to prove.

“If I can be a No. 2 behind Mitch Keller, that’s really good for our organization and our team,” Taillon said. “I would happily pencil in behind him.”

That almost made Keller blush.

“I’d be happy,” Keller said, “if I was No. 2 behind him.”

The Pirates would be happy to have a No. 1 starter.

The sooner Keller can elevate to that role, the better.

Check out the entire Pirates A to Z series here.