Mitch Keller to start Pirates' Opening Day against Reds

When Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton brought Mitch Keller into his office, he casually asked the right-hander about his side session and how many pitches he threw.

Then Shelton dropped a subtle surprise question.

“How many do you think you’ll throw on the 30th?” Shelton asked.

Keller paused and a smile crept across his face.

“I have no idea,” Keller said. “What’s the 30th?”

That’s when the Pirates visit the Cincinnati Reds for the season opener at Great American Ball Park and how Keller found out he was named the Opening Day starter for the first time in his career.

“Very well deserved,” Shelton told Keller as they exchanged a hug. “Seriously. I mean, all the work you put in. I’m so proud.”

The moment Mitch found out is everything. ???? pic.twitter.com/oZJgThZjP2

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 15, 2023

Keller made starting on Opening Day a goal entering spring training. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder was 5-12 with a 3.91 ERA and 1.40 WHIP last season, leading the Pirates in starts (29) and innings (159) and finishing second with 138 strikeouts. He had a strong second half, recording a 3.09 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 70 innings over 13 starts, and was 1-2 with a 2.06 ERA over his final six starts.

“I always want to be the guy,” Keller said Feb. 20 at Pirate City. “Being the Opening Day starter would be sweet and so I’m going to try my (best) to be that dude.”

Keller has been effective in all four Grapefruit League starts this spring, going 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, 15 strikeouts against two walks and holding hitters to a .250 batting average.

Mitch Keller has been named our Opening Day starter in Cincinnati.

Congratulations, @mkeller11! pic.twitter.com/JTeuRxMyLU

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 15, 2023

And he has no shortage of motivation to return to the mound at Cincinnati. After rising through the farm system as the Pirates’ top pitching prospect and two-time minor league pitcher of the year, Keller had a disastrous debut on Memorial Day in 2019. Pitching the second game of a doubleheader, Keller gave up a grand slam and suffered through a six-run first inning in an 8-1 loss. He ended up striking out seven in four innings that day

“It would be cool to get some revenge for that first day, because that first inning really sucked,” Keller said last month. “After my debut, I settled down and got in there. But, yeah, that would be that’d be really cool.”

Keller, who turns 27 on April 4, has a career 12-29 record with a 5.00 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 68 starts over four seasons.

He believes his best is yet to come.

“It’s not done,” Keller told Shelton. “It’s only the beginning.”

Shelton presented Keller a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

“It’s not done,” Shelton said, “but a lot of hard work and transformation and, you know, and there’s different steps you’ve gone through in terms of prospect, getting through to the big leagues and transforming yourself.”