Mitch Keller’s offseason hasn’t consisted of much. He and his wife, Clancy, took a trip to Ireland. The Pirates pitcher also watched a bunch of Iowa football — and tried to not loose his lunch over the Hawkeyes’ anemic offense.
“Not much to do in Iowa besides getting ready for this year,” Keller, a Cedar Rapids native, said on Friday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on the eve of PiratesFest.
It’s the furthest thing from Keller’s humble, understated style, but there was something else he could’ve taken time to do: sit back and reflect on what a rare and special season the 27-year-old right-hander enjoyed.
One where Keller led the Pirates pitching staff in ERA (4.21), strikeouts (210), wins (13) and innings pitched (194 1/3) … while also finishing 10th in MLB (and fifth in the National League) with 210 strikeouts, resulting in his first trip to the All-Star Game.
Keller ranked eighth in MLB in innings pitched and finished basically one start shy of becoming just he sixth pitcher in either league last season to hit the 200-inning mark, something Keller said he hopes to accomplish in 2024.
“That’s my job: to go as many innings as possible,” Keller said. “When you’re at the end of the year and you look back at that kind of workload, it makes you really happy.
“You strive for the same thing, to keep building for next year, just kind of knowing what it takes throughout the season.
“Maybe you need to change a little bit with recovery or mid-week lifts, bullpens and cut some out here and there, just so I’m feeling good toward the end or middle of the season. Just learning from how to handle a load like that.”
Keller obviously learned a ton this past season. He also navigated a strange second half. From July 18 on, Keller made 13 starts and had a 5.59 ERA. Four of those involved seven or more earned runs allowed. At the same time, Keller gave up three or fewer on eight occasions.
When Keller was good, he was usually very good. There were just probably a few more duds than he would like, which again, provides something to work on for next year.
“Obviously a really good first half,” Keller said, assessing his season. “A bumpy road midway in there in some parts of the second half. But overall, really good. There are a lot of really good takeaways, a lot of positive things to build on. Not really hung up on the negative stuff.
“I just want to learn, try to keep growing and get better.”
The offseason for Keller, again, has been relatively simple. Whereas Colin Holderman talked about working on a four-seamer and changeup, Keller isn’t expanding his pitch mix. He joked that he already has too many to maintain.
A bigger focus for Keller has been pitch shape and ensuring his cutter and slider have clear definition. Not to mention maintaining what has been the most transformative pitch for Keller: his sinker.
“It’s just refining those and making sure they’re where they need to be,” Keller said. “Just trying to get better at all of it.”
The other offseason component with Keller involves his contract. In his second year of arbitration, Keller is projected to make $6 million, though that could be scrapped if he signs a long-term extension.
Keller said that he and the Pirates have not yet talked about a long-term contract, but he hoped that would happen come spring training.
“I would love to start talking, but I have no idea what they plan,” Keller said. “It would probably be around spring training again like it was last year.”
The contract for Keller will sort itself out. But given the devastating elbow injury to Johan Oviedo — “My heart breaks for him,” Keller said — Keller is more important to the Pirates than ever.
They need him to be a workhorse, the type who clears 200 innings and gives them certainty every fifth day.
“Even all the way up through the minor leagues, it’s kind of how it was,” Keller said of eating a lot of innings. “They would have to shut me down, which was kind of cool. My goal was 200, so hopefully next year I can get there.”
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: January 6, 2024, 1:30 p.m.
Updated: January 6, 2024, 11:18 p.m.
