Bucs prospect Keller records first 12 outs by K

June 8th, 2019

Pirates No. 1 prospect Mitch Keller had a night to remember Friday, when each of the first 12 outs he recorded for Triple-A Indianapolis against Toledo came via strikeout.

The No. 18 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, Keller finished with 13 strikeouts over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander yielded one hit and walked three, lowering his season ERA to 3.10 over 11 starts.

Keller made his MLB debut on May 27 for Pittsburgh, giving up six runs on seven hits over four innings. But all six runs scored in the first inning of that game against the Reds in Cincinnati, and Keller allowed just one baserunner while striking out seven through the remainder of his start.

A second-round selection by the Pirates in 2014, Keller has a 98 mph fastball and has pitched well at every Minor League level along the way, most recently posting a 3.48 ERA in 25 starts between Class A Advanced Bradenton, Double A Altoona and Indianapolis last year. He may have advanced even faster had it not been for injuries early in his pro career.

Keller started the 2018 All-Star Futures Game in Washington, and he was on the Pirates' 40-man roster last offseason.