Pittsburgh Review

PITTSBURGH -- Mitch Keller's final performance of the season saw him allow three runs over five innings with six hits and two walks in the Pirates' 5-2 loss to the Brewers at PNC Park. Despite this, his pitching on Thursday resembled his form from the first half of the season when he nearly replicated his All-Star campaign from 2023, exiting his Aug. 3 outing with a 10-5 record and a 3.20 ERA.

However, Keller's last nine starts were challenging. His velocity decreased, his command was less precise, and he recorded a 1-8 record with 37 earned runs allowed over 45 2/3 innings. A season that seemed destined for All-Star recognition ended with an 11-12 record and a 4.25 ERA.

“Up and down, up and down,” Keller said when asked about his season. “There's definitely a lot of highlights up there and definitely a lot of lowlights. But overall, a lot of good things to look back on and a lot of things to keep working for. I don't know, it's weird. I'm happy with it and also disappointed in some areas too, so there is a lot more I can do for myself. And a lot more I can do for this team going into next year, for sure.”

This marks the second consecutive year that Keller struggled towards the end of the season, finishing with a 4.21 ERA in 2023. The Pirates showed confidence in him during Spring Training by offering him a five-year extension, solidifying his role as the leader of their rotation.

Keller’s second-half performance this year was significantly impacted by three starts on Aug. 9, Aug. 14, and Sept. 20, where he allowed a combined total of 23 earned runs compared to just 61 runs over his other 28 starts. Consistency remains key for Keller as he seeks improvement.

"I think that's going to be where we spend our focus,” said manager Derek Shelton. “In two years, [he] got off to a really good start and then just wasn't consistent in the second half. Now that we have two years in a row like that, that should be our focus of [asking], ‘What are we doing?’ A full encompassing of everything he does throughout the second half."

Keller plans to review his starts during the offseason with both mechanical and mental aspects in mind. The Pirates utilized off-days, periodic bullpen games, and spot starters to give their pitchers extra rest throughout most of the year by employing a six-man rotation strategy; however, Keller felt it neither helped nor hindered him significantly.

“Definitely just a lot of things to keep growing on and maybe picking other people's brains, other starters around the league just to see how they put a full season together,” Keller said.

Keller entered this year optimistic about the team's playoff chances—a goal that ultimately was not achieved—but he believes they have potential for next year with their current rotation.

“I think we have a lot of great talent in this room, especially on the pitching staff,” Keller said. “I couldn't be more excited to go a full season with Paul [Skenes] and Jared [Jones] and Bailey [Falter] and [Luis] Ortiz.”