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.

Right-hander Mitch Keller and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a five-year, $77 million contract extension on Thursday, according to sources. After a breakout season in which he struck out a career-high 210 batters, the 27-year-old Keller will anchor Pittsburgh's starting rotation for the team that drafted him in the second round in 2014 out of high school. The new deal will buy out what would have been Keller's first two years of free agency. In addition to his career-best 210 punchouts last year, Keller went 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 55 walks in 194 1/3 innings over a career-high 32 starts to garner his first All-Star nod. He was solid in the first half but fell apart after the All-Star break with a 5.59 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 13 starts down the stretch. Still, he upped his strikeout rate and isn't a bad No. 4 rotation option for fantasy managers with upside late in drafts.

A key order of business for the Pittsburgh Pirates and general manager Ben Cherington this offseason remains getting a long-term contract extension done with right-hander Mitch Keller. Contract-extension talks gained traction during the middle of last season, but the up-and-down nature of Keller's performance mixed with business led both sides to pause talks until this offseason. The Pirates view Keller, who is entering his second year of arbitration, as someone the would like to give a contract extension to. "We appreciate a lot about who he is," Cherington said of Keller. "He's one of the guys who checks a lot of boxes. He's a guy we would love to see in a Pirates uniform for a long time. We'll see how that plays out." The 27-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2023 and went 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA (3.80 FIP), 1.24 WHIP, 55 walks and a career-high 210 K's in 194 1/3 innings over 32 starts.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller will not make his final start of the season on Sunday against the Miami Marlins. The Pirates aren't playing for anything and Keller has already thrown a career-high 194 1/3 innings in his fifth major-league season. The 27-year-old made the All-Star team for the first time in his career in 2023 and finishes with a 13-9 record, 4.21 ERA (3.80 FIP), 1.24 WHIP, 55 walks and a career-high 210 strikeouts in his 32 starts. Keller wasn't as sharp in the second half of the season, though, posting a 5.59 ERA with 21 walks and 81 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings over 13 starts after the All-Star break.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller threw eight two-hit innings with one walk and seven strikeouts for his 12th win of the year in Thursday's 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals. The 27-year-old needed a boost in the worst way after being shredded for eight runs allowed on three separate occasions post-All-Star break. Keller navigated through the contact-based Nats lineup with relative ease, keeping loud contact at a minimum. The right-hander came out of the game at 92 pitches after the eighth inning for closer David Bednar to shut it down. Keller has endured a tumultuous year, but the 2023 All-Star has been the closest piece of stability in Pittsburgh's shaky rotation with a 4.04 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 198:52 K:BB in 182 2/3 frames. Next up are the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller is trying to keep his momentum going on Friday when he faces Kyle Hendricks and the Chicago Cubs. Over his last two starts, the 27-year-old has gone 18 innings while allowing three earned runs. It's been an otherwise poor second half for Keller as he owns a 6.98 ERA since the break and has pitched to a 4.22 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 26.0% strikeout rate with 10 wins over 155 2/3 innings overall this season. He's a fine fantasy option in all leagues, but fantasy managers can't expect him to anchor a rotation.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller heads to the mound for Thursday's start against the Milwaukee Brewers. The 27-year-old has built on his 2022 breakout overall, but has mostly struggled since returning from this year's All-Star break. Keller shows an 8.64 ERA over three post-break starts (16.2 innings), getting hit hard for six home runs during this skid. The 2023 All-Star sees a decent opportunity to bounce back on Thursday against a scuffling Brewers offense averaging just 3.6 runs on a team .232 BA and .666 OPS across their previous 19 games. Despite Keller's recent drop-off, he remains worth deploying in the majority of season-long fantasy leagues. The right-hander did permit only two runs in 5.2 frames during his latest appearance versus the Philadelphia Phillies.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller is being discussed in trade talks by the team's front office leading up to the Aug.1 MLB trade deadline. It's unclear how far talks with interested parties have gone to this point but it appears the club is at least willing to listen on the 2023 All-Star. Keller has largely enjoyed a nice season, working to a 4.01 ERA across 21 innings of work. However, he also sports a 3.82 SIERA while his 25.4% K% is his highest mark since debuting with 11 starts in the 2019 season. His ERA has risen sharply over his last two starts as he has yielded 14 earned runs across his last 11 innings of work. Surely, interested clubs are looking closer at his overall body of work this season, which has been stellar.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller continued his strong campaign versus the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. The right-hander was nearly unhittable, allowing zero earned runs in seven innings of work. Keller struck out 13 batters, while only allowing four hits in this game. It was one of his best outings this season as he continues to show his elite swing-and-miss stuff. He's likely to regress at some point, but fantasy managers should ride the hot wave. He'll get the Arizona Diamondbacks for his next start, so fantasy managers should make sure to get him out there for that one.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller continued his strong start to the season in Monday's 2-0 win over the Rockies at home. The 27-year-old turned in a complete-game shutout, allowing just four hits and a walk with eight strikeouts on 103 pitches. Keller has finally been delivering the results fantasy managers have hoped for for years, going 4-1 with a 2.72 ERA and a 10.15 K/9 rate in eight starts. His next start will be a tough matchup at the Orioles, but the Pirates have played very well this season and Keller has been too good not to start.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller is starting Tuesday's contest to take on the Houston Astros. It'll be a tough task considering Houston's lineup, but the 27-year-old will look to continue his strong start to the season, as he owns a 3.86 ERA with a 30.6% strikeout rate, 1.37 WHIP, and one win over his first two appearances. Keller was once a top prospect in the club's system but has yet to show his true potential, as his career 4.96 ERA and 4.08 FIP are nothing to get excited about. Hopefully, he's finally turned a corner and can provide fantasy managers will value all around, even while a member of the meager Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller (shoulder) was removed from Tuesday's start against the Boston Red Sox after two innings due to right shoulder fatigue. He allowed four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out one across two innings before exiting. The 26-year-old is being evaluated and is considered day-to-day. It's unclear if Keller will miss his next scheduled start on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. Keller owns a 4.49 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and a 92:42 K: BB across 114 1/3 innings in 2022. Stay tuned for further updates

After getting hit hard for the first two months of the 2022 season, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller appears to be finally putting it all together consistently. In June, Keller is sporting just a 2.38 ERA while allowing just a .250 opponent's batting average in 11 innings of work. A big reason for the uptick from Keller is the use of his sinker, which is generating a 30% put-away percentage and allowing just a .233 OBA. As long as Keller keeps throwing his sinker, the 26-year-old is a viable starting pitching option for standard fantasy league managers.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller (thigh) was removed from his spring outing early on Saturday as a precaution due to a left thigh bruise. His status is day-to-day for now. Keller was hit by a comebacker on Saturday while facing the Detroit Tigers, but it sounds like it could have been a lot worse. The 25-year-old right-hander looked good in just five starts in the shortened 2020 season, but things haven't gone well for him in his other two major league seasons. In 23 starts in 2021, Kelly had an ugly 6.17 ERA and 1.79 WHIP with an 8.2 K/9 and 49 walks in 100 2/3 innings pitched for Pittsburgh. Until he shows better results, fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues can leave him on the waiver wire.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller allowed six hits while striking out eight over six scoreless during Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He did not walk a batter and did not factor into the decision. The 25-year-old bounced back on Thursday, shutting down the Cubs over six innings after surrendering seven runs in his previous start. Keller threw 89 pitches, landing 64 for strikes. He now has allowed two earned runs or less each in three of his last four starts. The Pirates right-hander owns a 6.23 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, and a 76:38 K: BB over 78 innings in 2021. Keller will look to build on Thursday's impressive performance in next week's start against the Detroit Tigers. Fantasy managers in deep-league formats can use Keller as a streamer.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller tossed five scoreless innings against the Cardinals on Friday, allowing six hits and one walk while striking out six in a 4-0 win over St. Louis. Keller has looked good in back-to-back starts now, as he has combined to allow two runs on 15 hits and two walks while striking out nine over 9 1/3 innings of work against Milwaukee and St. Louis. Walks had been the biggest issue for Keller during his early season struggles, posting a 12.7 percent walk rate over 47 1/3 innings pitched. But since being recalled at the beginning of August, Keller has now posted a 6.8 percent walk rate across 19 1/3 innings of work. He could be a potential matchup-dependent streaming option in deeper formats to close out the season, and he should have a decent matchup in his next outing with Arizona.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller took the loss on Sunday, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out two over five innings of work in a 15-4 loss to the Phillies. While not an optimal result, there was still some signs of improvement from Keller on Sunday, as it marked the first time since April that he did not allow a walk in an outing. It's possible that there could be better days ahead for Keller, but until we see some consistency from him, he should remain on the waiver wire in all formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller will start Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports. Keller was called up on July 30 and hasn't pitched in the big leagues since June 10. The one-time prospect has had a disappointing career, posting a 6.31 ERA with a 4.56 FIP across three seasons and just 117 IP. This season hasn't been any better for him, as he's pitched to a 7.04 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 29 walks in 47.1 innings. Keller should only be an option for desperate fantasy managers in deep leagues looking to find a diamond in the rough.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller has reportedly been recalled from Triple-A by the team. Keller previously pitched to a 7.04 ERA and a 4.95 FIP in 47.1 innings for the Pirates this season. He was much better for the organization's Triple-A affiliate though, working to a 3.21 ERA and a 3.02 FIP in 28 innings while striking out 39 batters and walking 13. Keller has had some success in the Majors before and is someone to keep an eye on to see if he can replicate his Triple-A form in Pittsburgh. However, he only has fantasy appeal in deeper leagues at the moment.