According to Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Pirates have made starting pitchers Jared Jones and Mitch Keller available for trade at the Winter Meetings. Destin noted Jones is "very available." The Pirates have expressed interest in acquiring some offensive pieces, and moving one of these starting pitchers would put them in a good position to acquire a potent bat. Keller has typically operated as the workhorse in the Pittsburgh rotation, logging over 175 innings in each of the past two seasons. Last summer, Keller posted a 4.25 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Jared Jones made his major league debut last summer and showed great potential. In his first 121 2/3 big league innings, the young right-hander held a 4.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while generating a strong 26.2% K rate. With Paul Skenes looking like a clear ace and Bubba Chandler nearing his major league debut, moving one of these starters could provide Pittsburgh a much-needed spark to their lineup.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller was stellar in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Rangers. Keller pitched seven innings, allowing just three hits and no walks with nine strikeouts. This was a welcome outing for the Pirates and fantasy managers, as Keller had allowed a combined 15 earned runs in his previous two starts. His performance has fluctuated at times, but the 28-year-old is now 11-7 with a 3.76 ERA, an 8.13 K/9 rate, and a 2.43 BB/9 rate in 25 starts and 148 1/3 IP. His next start is slated to be a decent matchup against the Cubs. Hopefully, he can string together another solid outing.
Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller struggled in an 8-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. Keller allowed eight runs on eight hits over five innings while striking out two and walking two to take the loss. Most of the damage came via a three-run homer in the first inning and a two-run shot in the third. Keller has mostly pitched well this season but he's really struggled over his past two starts, having allowed 15 earned runs in nine innings over that span. Overall, he has a 10-7 record, 3.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 125 strikeouts over 141 1/3 innings of work. Keller will look to get back on track in his next start which is set for Tuesday against the Texas Rangers. Fantasy gamers might want to leave him on the bench for that outing, thanks to his recent rough stretch.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller looked solid on the mound during Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-hander struck out six batters while allowing only two runs on two hits in a no-decision. Keller went seven strong innings, but the offensive support came after he was out of the game. He'll take a 3.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 114/34 K/BB ratio into a rematch against the D-Backs next weekend.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller dominated the New York Mets in Monday's start, logging a quality start with six strikeouts over eight innings. Keller allowed two runs, a two-run home run off the bat of Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo, but that didn't prevent him from picking up his 10th win of the year. The 28-year-old right-hander is as steady as they come for fantasy managers, posting a 3.40 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 102 punchouts and 27 walks over 111 1/3 frames (18 starts) for the Pirates this season. Keller is lined up to take the ball one more time before the All-Star break, which is scheduled for Saturday's favorable matchup with the last-place Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller threw six innings of one-run ball in Saturday's 8-1 victory over the Blue Jays. The righty allowed just five hits and a walk while striking out eight. The outing marked his fifth straight quality start, going 5-0 with a 1.34 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a 16.7% K-BB% over that stretch. The former second-round draft pick is having a solid season overall as well, going 7-3 with a 3.42 ERA (3.47 FIP), 1.22 WHIP, and a 66:20 K:BB over 12 starts (73 2/3 IP). The 28-year-old will look to keep rolling when he toes the rubber against the Twins in his next start at home on Friday.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller picked up his fourth straight quality start in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Braves. Keller pitched six-and-two-thirds innings of one-run ball, scattering six hits and striking out four batters while walking none. The outing lowered his season ERA to 3.59 (3.67 FIP) and the righty's WHIP now stands at 1.24. The former second-round draft pick isn't striking out as many batters as we're used to seeing (20.2% K%), but he's also reduced his HR/FB% to a career-low of 8.5% through 11 starts which has helped limit damage. The win was his sixth of the season, and hopefully he can sustain this success throughout the year, as last season he faded in the second half (first half 3.31 ERA, .278 wOBA vs. second half 5.59 ERA, .355 wOBA).
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller was sensational in Monday's 4-1 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels, tossing nine innings of one-run ball on five hits (one home run) and one walk while striking out five en route to a complete-game win. Other than Zach Neto's solo shot in the sixth inning, Keller kept Anaheim's bats quiet all evening for easily his most impressive start of the 2024 regular season. Entering the day with a rocky 5.18 ERA, Keller improved it to a 4.43 ERA to go with a 1.33 WHIP and 44:16 K:BB over 49 frames (eight starts) for the Pirates this year. The 28-year-old right-hander aims to build on this effort in Sunday's series finale at home versus the Chicago Cubs for his next scheduled start, where he'll be a hit-or-miss fantasy bet. Keller fired eight scoreless innings in one of his two starts against the Cubs last year, but he gave up seven runs in his other appearance versus Chicago.
Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller will look to keep up the good work in a Saturday outing versus the visiting Boston Red Sox. After allowing four earned runs in each of his first two starts of the season, the 28-year-old has allowed just two earned runs in each of his last two starts and 13 innings of work. He has 13 strikeouts against just four walks in that time and did not walk a batter across seven innings his last time out. Fantasy managers should certainly be encouraged by his start to the season, even if his 19.8% K% leaves something to be desired as he posted a 25.5% K% last season alongside a healthy 18.8% K-BB%. He should see continued positive ERA regression moving forward as his 3.87 xFIP and 4.09 SIERA sit well below his 4.50 ERA on the young season.
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that right-hander Mitch Keller will start on Opening Day on March 28 against the Marlins in Miami. This doesn't come as a surprise at all, especially after the club announced a five-year, $77 million extension with Keller earlier on Thursday. The 27-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2023 and finished 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA (3.80 FIP) and 1.24 WHIP with 55 walks and a career-high 210 strikeouts in 194 1/3 innings over 32 starts in his fifth year in the majors. Keller was solid in the first half before sporting an ERA over 5.00 in the second half. It was nice to see Keller raise his strikeout rate last year, and his 3.70 xFIP shows that he was perhaps a little bit unlucky in the ERA department. He still has some upside, but he's best drafted as a depth arm for your fantasy rotation in the later rounds.
Mitch Keller
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Pirates
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