BRADENTON, Fla. – It was in the quiet moments that Mitch Keller spoke loudest for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, even if the conversations were barely above a whisper.
To young Pirates pitchers after struggling in a start, Keller served as the calming voice who offered reassurance that there would be better days ahead. He spoke as someone who has experienced both ends of the spectrum: Keller was a top prospect who made a disastrous debut, was demoted to the bullpen and then the minors. He showed resilience by expanding his repertoire and developing into an All-Star.
“Mainly, trying to be someone they can talk to,” Keller said. “For a couple weeks, I was the best pitcher in baseball; for a couple years, I was the worst. … I try to keep everybody in a level-headed state, to not get too high or too low. Tomorrow is a new day, no matter what. Nobody cares what you did the night before.”
Despite being the subject of offseason trade talk, Keller has continued his leadership role in the clubhouse in spring training at Pirate City. He’s the club’s longest-tenured player, having been drafted in the second round in 2014, accompanied by the security of a long-term contract after signing a five-year extension worth $77 million in February 2024.
What Keller wants now is to show that he can pitch at a high level throughout the season. The 29-year-old right-hander has proven to be a workhorse, starting at least 29 games in each of the past four seasons and delivering at least 15 quality starts in each of his past three seasons, including 17 last year. But Keller has endured some brutal second-half stretches, with a 6.52 ERA last August.
“It’s tough, learning every season, trying to figure out how can I peak in September instead of May,” Keller said. “That’s a big thing for me: How many quality starts can I toss up there? It means I’m doing something right. I’m trying to be more consistent, from beginning to end.”
Mitch Keller live BP vs. Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz at Pirate City. pic.twitter.com/J2e2BZ6JAQ
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 17, 2026
Keller went 6-15 with a 4.19 ERA and 1.26 WHIP last season, recording 150 strikeouts against 51 walks and allowing 21 home runs in 176 innings over 32 starts. Where he went 3-10 with a 3.48 ERA in his first 20 starts, his numbers dipped to 3-5 with a 5.65 over his final 12.
Instead of dwelling on the lack of run support — the Pirates scored two runs or fewer in 14 of his starts — Keller was quick to pick up teammates after they dealt with defeats.
“I think he’s done a really naturally good job with it,” Pirates righty Carmen Mlodzinski said. “He’s never tried to force anything upon anybody. That speaks to the person he is. He’s a very genuine person. He’s never going to be a fake leader. He’s going to shoot you straight.
“He’s experienced ups and downs, experienced failure, experienced success. He’s been an All-Star and he’s had a (month) where he had a 6.50 ERA, so he’s been through a little bit of everything. … To have a connection with a guy like that — who is a leader — makes it a little bit easier. When you are going through a struggle, he’s able to ground you a little bit, like, ‘It’s going to be all right. This isn’t the end of the world.’ It’s definitely great to have him around.”
Keller credits Pirates predecessors Chris Archer, Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon for teaching him how to act like a major leaguer, on the mound and in the dugout and clubhouse. Archer took Keller under his wing, teaching him how to be someone who stands on the top step and is a positive presence for his younger teammates.
“I take pride in that,” Keller said. “I was almost out of baseball, probably. Who knows where my career would be if I kept going on the track I was on in 2020 and ‘21? One rough outing is not going to be the end-all, be-all. You’ve got to stay the course. That’s where that comes in, my experience there.”
Keller points to his start in a 5-3 win at the Los Angeles Dodgers in May 2022 as a turning point in his career. He had five strikeouts while allowing two runs on two hits and five walks in five innings, then posted a 3.20 ERA over his final 21 starts.
“That’s the biggest stage in baseball — or one of them — and I was going through some (stuff),” Keller said. “They put me out there with a new sinker and slider like, there you go. That was one of the turning points, if I remember correctly. Just leaning back on that confidence against one of the better lineups in baseball with some new stuff and I was like, ‘I can really do this.’ It just led into the spring of 2023. That was vital in my confidence and my growth forward, just being able to follow his lead was huge.”
In 2023, Keller won 10 of his first 19 starts and was selected to his first All-Star Game appearance. The following year, he was 10-5 with a 3.40 ERA through July 8 but was bypassed for the Midsummer Classic when Paul Skenes was selected to start for the National League.
Skenes also surpassed Keller to become the Pirates’ ace and won NL rookie of the year honors. Last season, Skenes broke Keller’s franchise record for strikeouts by a right-hander on his way to winning the Cy Young Award in a unanimous vote. That was but a blip in Keller’s journey, one that only stokes the competitive fire in him.
“To see him come out on the other side and to have the success that he’s had,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said, “and see him give back now in a leadership way and try to help the younger guys understand, to keep them off the roller coaster, if you will, he’s done a great job.”