30 articles
PIT • Pitcher • #23
about 2 months ago
Keller’s walk rate had come down of late, but then he set a season high tonight. He ends the season 6-15 with a 4.19 ERA and a 150/51 K/BB in 176 1/3 innings. The win-loss record is hardly all his fault, and from an ERA standpoint, he’s been very consistent the last four years. Still, his stock is down with his strikeout rate dropping to 20 percent, and that his ERAs have been satisfactory is partly a product of his home ballpark suppressing home runs.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
about 2 months ago
The runs scored on homers from Nick Kurtz and Lawrence Butler. Keller has a 4.22 ERA virtually identical to his marks from the previous two years (4.21 and 4.25). Still, there’s less reason than ever for optimism here, given that his strikeout rate has gone from 25.5% in 2023 to 21.5% last year to 19.7% this year. He’ll likely finish up with a start in Atlanta.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
about 2 months ago
Keller was cruising right along until the sixth inning when Brady House took him deep, CJ Abrams hit a single, and James Wood crushed a 115 mph RBI double. Three left-handed hitters were due up after Wood, so Keller was pulled for a lefty after throwing just 62 pitches. Until that point, there basically wasn’t a moment of stress for him, so it was disappointing to not have him even qualify for a quality start after being quite efficient early. He’s scheduled to face the Cubs at home next time out.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
2 months ago
Keller held the Brewers scoreless through three innings before giving up a two-run homer to Jake Bauers in the fourth. He’d pitch into the seventh without allowing another run, leaving with one out at 92 pitches with four strikeouts. The 29-year-old right-hander ends the day with a 4.16 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 136/44 K/BB ratio across 162 1/3 innings.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
2 months ago
The runs all came in the fifth after a Nick Gonzales error opened the inning. Jarren Duran’s inside-the-park homer on a liner to right-center drove in the final three runs. Keller had good velocity today, and he finished with seven strikeouts and one walk. If not for the error, this might have ended up as one of his better performances this season. As is, he fell to 6-13, though his ERA dropped to 4.21. He’ll face the Brewers next.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
3 months ago
Keller scattered just three hits and one walk on the night. He was staked to an early 7-0 advantage, and he just needed to keep the train on the tracks to walk away with a victory. He served up a two-run homer to Nolan Gorman in the fourth inning and allowed another run on an RBI ground out by Willson Contreras in the sixth. Keller generated a whopping 18 swings and misses on 93 pitches in the contest — seven on his fastball — while posting a strong CSW of 34 percent. Now 6-12 on the season, he’ll carry a 4.35 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and a 125/43 K/BB ratio (151 innings) into a tough matchup against the Dodgers on Tuesday.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
3 months ago
Keller surrendered six runs in four innings against the Brewers six days ago, so his ERA has jumped from 3.86 to 4.34 in the last week. That’s the difference between a decent season and another mediocre one from a pitcher with a career 93 ERA+. He’ll face the Cardinals next.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
3 months ago
Keller walked two and struck out five while posting a 21 percent whiff rate and 29 percent CSW. The 29-year-old was hit hard most of the day with a 92.6 mph average exit velocity allowed on balls in play. He threw both his fastball variations in the zone but failed to get many chases on his secondary pitches. He’ll now carry a 4.13 ERA into a tough start against the Blue Jays next week. We would not stream him there.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
3 months ago
Keller didn’t have his best stuff nor his best command in this one, but fought hard to limit the damage done against him. He benefited from a bases loaded double play, a runner being thrown out at home, and a handful of mishits on hanging sweepers to nearly drag his way to a quality start he would not have deserved. He’s scheduled to face the Brewers in Milwaukee next time out.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
3 months ago
Keller allowed one run over five innings before giving up consecutive homers to Mickey Moniak, Hunter Goodman and Jordan Beck in the sixth (or as the Rockies’ social media team put it, back-to-back-to-Beck). It’s just the third time in his career that Keller has given up three homers in a start. Still, it’s really not hard to see why the Pirates didn’t get any strong offers for him prior to the deadline. He’s 5-10 with a 3.89 ERA and an 18.7% strikeout rate that’s far lower than his marks from 2023 (25.5%) and 2025 (21.5%). He’ll face the Reds next.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
3 months ago
Hiles acknowledges that the situation appeared different a couple of weeks ago, but the “Pirates are comfortable with hanging onto Keller unless a steep return is offered.” This could simply be posturing by the Pirates front office, but Keller is also under control for another three years, so there doesn’t have to be a rush to trade him if the team believes they can contend with Keller in the coming seasons.
Source: Post Gazette
PIT • Pitcher • #23
4 months ago
Passan notes that “With Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer headed to free agency after this season and Kevin Gausman following 2026, getting an under-control starter is a priority” for Toronto. Keller has three years and around $55 million remaining on his deal after this season, so he could not only bolster the Jays’ rotation for this season but also give them insurance heading into 2026.
Source: ESPN.com
PIT • Pitcher • #23
4 months ago
Keller racked up five strikeouts on the evening while issuing three free passes. The only blemish on his day came on a three-run blast off the bat of Jake Rogers in the fifth inning. Aside from that, he was terrific. The 29-year-old right-hander generated 10 swings and misses on 89 pitches on the night — five of them on his fastball — while registering a CSW of 22 percent. He’ll look to keep the good times rolling as he brings a 3.53 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a 97/30 K/BB ratio (125 innings) into Monday’s matchup against the Giants in San Francisco.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
4 months ago
The 29-year-old right-hander had a solid first half for the Bucs, registering a 3.48 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 92/27 K/BB ratio across 119 innings through his first 20 starts. He’s signed through the 2028 season on what looks to be a bargain five-year, $77 million contract though, so it’s going to take a significant offer for the Bombers to be able to pry Keller away from the Pirates. Hiles notes that the Cubs and Mets are also interested in acquiring Keller.
Source: Noah Hiles
PIT • Pitcher • #23
4 months ago
Keller gave up four hits, walked none and struck out three. The 29-year-old right-hander hasn’t allowed more than two runs in a start since June 10, spanning six starts. Keller could be one of the more highly-coveted starters available at the trade deadline. He’ll take a 3.48 ERA and 92/27 K/BB ratio in 119 innings into the All-Star break.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
4 months ago
At least he avoided the loss. Keller is 0-for-10 with four no-decisions when giving up more than one run this season. It’s been exactly one year since his last win while allowing more than one run; he allowed two runs over eight innings in an 8-2 defeat of the Mets on July 8, 2024. The Pirates have Thursday off, so unless something changes in the rotation, Keller’s next outing will probably come in the first game after the break.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
4 months ago
Keller’s name has come up in trade rumors repeatedly in recent weeks, especially linked to the Chicago Cubs, so this was a nice audition for him. He didn’t miss many bats with just an 18 percent whiff rate, but he had a 25 percent CSW on the back of strong command of his four-seam, sinker, and slider. The average exit velocity on balls in play off Keller was almost 93 mph, so this feels like a game where he got a little bit lucky. He’ll take a 3.64 ERA into a start against the Royals next week.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
5 months ago
Despite plenty of hard contact by the Mets, Keller did well to keep them off the board. Of their 12 hard-hit balls, the only one that produced a run was a solo home run from Juan Soto. Keller’s lineup spotted him a four-run lead after the second inning and he pitched like it, leaning on his fastball and seemingly not afraid to leave pitches over the heart of the plate to let the Mets put it in play. It was a fine start, but we’d have hoped to at least get a quality start as he was pitching with such a comfortable lead. He’s lined up to face the Cardinals at home next time out.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
5 months ago
Keller is an incredible 0-8 while giving up two or three runs this season and 1-10 with a 4.02 ERA overall. One wonders if he has any regrets about his commitment to the Pirates; if he didn’t do an extension through 2028, Keller would have been eligible for free agency for the first time this winter, and while he probably wouldn’t have broken the bank, he could have spent the rest of his prime pitching for a team trying to win. Perhaps a team like the Mets, who he’ll be facing next time out.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
5 months ago
Keller struck out three opposing hitters on the day while issuing a pair of free passes. All of the scoring done against him came in the opening frame as Seiya Suzuki drove in a run with a ground out and Dansby Swanson added a two-out RBI single. The 29-year-old hurler generated nine swings and misses on 88 pitches on the day, registering a CSW of 24 percent. He’ll look to get back in the win column as he brings a 1-9 record, 4.08 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and a 68/22 K/BB ratio (88 1/3 innings) into Saturday’s matchup against the Rangers.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
5 months ago
Obviously, there’s a lot more focus on how unlucky Paul Skenes has been to be 4-6 with a 1.88 ERA, but it’s equally ridiculous that Keller is 1-9 with a 4.15 ERA. He’s given the Pirates quality starts 10 times in 14 tries and gone 0-7 in the nine starts in which he’s allowed two or three runs. He’ll take on the Cubs this weekend.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
5 months ago
The right-hander allowed just one base on balls on the night while striking out five. He cruised through the first three innings unscathed until the Astros struck for four runs in the fourth inning, including a solo homer off the bat of Isaac Paredes. He then kept them at bay until the seventh where Jeremy Peña smacked a one-out RBI double to chase him from the game and scored later in the inning. Keller got 12 swings and misses on 89 pitches on the evening, posting a CSW of 28 percent. He’ll attempt to bounce back as he brings a 4.13 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and a 61/20 K/BB ratio (76 1/3 innings) into a premium matchup against the Marlins on Tuesday.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
5 months ago
Keller struck out just one batter in his six innings of work, and he was only able to generate three swings and misses over 78 pitches. He also only allowed three hits, however, and he pitched well enough for a win. Well enough for a team that doesn’t have the Pirates’ offense, anyway. Keller’s ERA is now a respectable 3.73, but it comes with a 1-7 record because, well, Pittsburgh. Keller will take on the Astros on Thursday.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
6 months ago
Keller had a great day on the mound, holding the Brewers to one run on a pair of base hits in the second inning. He’d toss four more frames, scattering seven hits in all with zero walks while striking out seven batters. The 29-year-old right-hander will take a 3.66 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 55/17 K/BB ratio across 64 innings into a start against the Padres in San Diego on Friday.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
6 months ago
Keller gave up six hits, walked one and struck out five in his third straight quality start. Alas, none of his solid outings have gotten him a win since he beat the Marlins on the second day of the season. The Pirates haven’t scored more than four runs in any of the 10 games he’s started. They’ve totaled two runs in his last three outings. Keller will face the Brewers at home next time out.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
6 months ago
Keller matched his season high with six strikeouts today, but there was no support to be had from the Pirates lineup. He has dropped four straight decisions since beating the Marlins on March 28, and the Pirates have not scored more than four runs in any of the eight games he’s started this season. He’ll face the Mets next time out.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
6 months ago
Keller pitched well over the first three innings, but things fell apart in his next two frames. He allowed two runs in the fourth including a solo blast from Gavin Sheets, and three more scored in the fifth in his final frame. The 29-year-old walked one and struck out three in a nondescript — but ultimately ineffective — outing against a tough lineup. Keller will try and rebound and lower his 4.38 ERA against the Cardinals next week.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
7 months ago
Keller struck out six, and he issued just one walk while throwing a solid 65-of-89 pitches for strikes. The 29-year-old was particularly impressive after the first inning, as he gave up two in that frame before settling down quite nicely. Keller now has a 3.97 ERA and 26/11 K/BB ratio over his 34 innings, and he’ll get a chance to improve both against the Padres next weekend.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
7 months ago
The right-hander struck out three and walked two but allowed a two-run homer to Steven Kwan in the third inning, which was the difference in the game before the offense clawed back in the ninth. While Keller didn’t give up many hits, he gave up a decent amount of hard contact with a 92.2 mph average exit velocity. He also only posted an 18 percent whiff rate on the day in what could have been a much worse line had he not pitched his way out of trouble in the fifth inning. Keller will now take a 4.18 ERA into a must-avoid start against the Dodgers next week.
PIT • Pitcher • #23
7 months ago
Keller finally gave up his first homer of the year, a solo shot to James Wood in the first. In spite of his good fortunate in avoiding the home run ball, he’s 1-2 with a 4.30 ERA through four turns, and there isn’t much reason to think things will get better. He’ll face the Guardians next.