IBWAA members love to write about baseball. So much so, we've decided to create our own newsletter about it! Subscribe to Here's the Pitch to expand your love of baseball, discover new voices, and support independent writing. Original content six days a week, straight to your inbox and straight from the hearts of baseball fans.
Pregame Pepper
Did you know ...
An item in this section of yesterday’s edition of Here’s The Pitch needs clarification. Pete Alonso of the 2019 New York Mets was the only rookie to be the sole major-league leader in home runs (53) but both Mark McGwire (49 in 1987) and Tim Jordan (12 in 1906) tied for the major-league lead. Aaron Judge (52 in 2017) and Harry Lumley (9 in 1905) led their league but not the majors. Co-editor Brian Harl gets an assist on this one . . .
Braves manager Brian Snitker is enjoying his spring training beach house on the Gulf of Mexico . . .
Thanks to health protocols, Yankees position players started 2021 spring training working out at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa while pitchers and catchers were practicing at a player development complex a block away . . .
Now that Toronto has signed Marcus Semien to play second base, Cavan Biggio will shift to third and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will stay at first . . .
Atlanta starter Mike Soroka, runner-up to Pete Alonso in the 2019 voting for NL Rookie of the Year, is almost ready again after tearing his Achilles in his third start last year but will open the season on the injured list.
Leading Off
What To Expect From Mitch Keller In 2021
By Jamie Gatlin
Throughout the off-season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of baseball's busiest teams. As the Pirates continue their rebuild, Joe Musgrove, Jameson Taillon, and Josh Bell were dealt for prospects. In 2021, Pittsburgh's focus will be on developing their young talent as they hope to build a consistent winner. One player who will be key to their success in 2021 and beyond is starter Mitch Keller.
Over the years, Keller has become a familiar name to Pirates fans. The former top prospect made his MLB debut in 2019 and has appeared in 16 games in the majors over the past two years. While Keller has battled injuries and inconsistency, he is coming off his most productive stint in the majors.
In five starts last year, the former second-round pick posted a 2.91 ERA. Keller held batters to a .132 average and only allowed nine hits. The Pirates starter also joined special company as he did not allow a hit in his final 11 innings of work. Keller also became the first National League pitcher to complete back-to-back no-hit streaks of at least five innings each since Johnny VanderMeer’s consecutive no-hitters in 1938.
Despite Keller’s success, he entered spring training looking to improve his game. In 21.1 innings of work last year, he walked 18 batters. Ten of those walks came in his final two starts. While Keller did struggle with control, he was able to pitch around his mistakes. This upcoming season, the Pirates will need Keller to pitch deeper into games and set the tone for the rest of the rotation.
Additionally in 2021, staying healthy will be key for Keller. The last time he pitched more than 100 innings in a season was in 2019. That season, Keller struggled in the majors as he had a 7.13 ERA in his first major-league stint. In the minors, however, he had the fourth-best ERA among Triple-A pitchers who pitched in at least 100 innings.
In spring training, Keller is already showing positive signs of regaining that form. After a dip in velocity due to injuries last year, Keller’s fastball velocity has improved. His fastball has averaged 97 mph after it sat at 92 last year. Keller has also been working on becoming more comfortable with his change-up, which he has used just 40 times in the majors.
Although the Pirates are projected to lose around 100 games this season, Keller’s development will be one thing to watch. He will be relied on heavily but it is a challenge he has been preparing for. As the Pirates look to identify who will be part of their next playoff roster, Keller will be looking to show why he should be leading the rotation for the foreseeable future.
Jamie Gatlin is a freelance writer covering the NHL and MLB for Prime Time Sports Talk and a former MLB writer for Runners Sports. You can find him on Twitter @JamieGatlin17 and @TalkPrimeTime. His email is gatlinjamie1@gmail.com
Cleaning Up
More Thoughts On Spring Training
By Dan Schlossberg
Mind over matter: Mets ace Jacob deGrom, a college shortstop, has managed to improve the velocity of his fastball in each of the last four seasons . . .
Among the Marlins gathered in Jupiter, FL are the cousin of Rafael Devers and the nephew of Alex Rodriguez . . .
Because he battled Covid in January, left-handed Yankees reliever Zack Britton lost 18 pounds and a month of winter training time, causing elbow issues that required surgical repair and will keep him out for half the season . . .
New Yankees starter Jameson Taillon is better at ping-pong than pitching . . .
Cleveland sluggers Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes duplicated the stupid stunt of 2020 teammates Mike Clevinger and Zack Plesac by violating pandemic health protocols . . .
Tommy John surgery has killed Justin Verlander’s long-shot bid to join the 300 Club . .
Which is more surprising: that former MVP Ryan Braun can’t find a job or that Pablo Sandoval, the 2012 World Series MVP, probably has . . .
Speaking of rotund, don’t bet against portly pitcher Bartolo Colon finding his way back from the Mexican League at age 48 . . .
Just as Max Fried has been cleared of Covid concerns, fellow Braves southpaw Sean Newcomb finds himself in the same boat . . .
Desperate to improve their defense, the Mets would be wise to trade outfielder-first baseman Dom Smith to Atlanta for a package headed by Ender Inciarte, a three-time Gold Glove winner in center field . . .
Trevor Bauer, ace of the Dodgers, will make more this season ($45 million) than the entire Cleveland team . . .
The Houston Astros are half-hoping they lose veteran pitchers Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke to free agency, which would take $68 million off their inflated payroll . . .
Isn’t Yankees manager Aaron Boone a little young – and in too precarious a job – for a pacemaker? . . .
Unless pandemic conditions worsen, baseball will stage its first Field of Dreams game this summer in Dubuque, Iowa . . .
Pedro Baez, one of Houston’s off-season acquisitions, was among the club’s Group of Eight – a cadre of pitchers sidelined by Covid concerns . . .
After opening this season in Dunedin at their Florida spring training headquarters, the Toronto Blue Jays could get closer to home if they return to Sahlen Field, the Buffalo ballpark they occupied for “home” games last season . . .
Aging lefty Jon Lester was embarrassed that the first headline he made with the Washington Nationals involved spring training surgery to get his thyroid removed . . .
Are Shane Greene’s contract demands so exorbitant that no one will sign the erstwhile All-Star closer? . . .
Curious to see how much returning to Wrigley Field helps Jake Arrieta . . .
Now that the Cardinals have Gold Glover Nolan Arenado at third base, look for Matt Carpenter to shift to second or land with another club . . .
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf may have the best team in the AL Central but will his friend Tony La Russa, a 76-year-old lawyer with a no-nonsense philosophy, relate to his young charges? He’s the oldest manager in the majors by a wide margin.
Former AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg is the author or co-author of 38 baseball books, including autobiographies of Ron Blomberg, Milo Hamilton, and Al Clark. He writes for forbes.com, Latino Sports, Sports Collectors Digest, Ball Nine, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, and others. Reach him via e.mail at ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia
Mazel tov to the Detroit Tigers, now marking their 85th spring in Lakeland, FL and their 56th straight season at Joker Marchant Stadium . . .
When Carl Yastrzemski won the American League Triple Crown in 1967, he had to settle for a tie in the home run derby as he and Harmon Killebrew both finished with 44 home runs . . .
Are all 30 clubs willing to bypass the power promise of 38-year-old DH Edwin Encarnacion, who has 424 homers over a 16-year career?
He’s only 30, owns a rifle arm, and has good power (24 homers in 2019), so why is Yasiel Puig still a slugger in search of a team?
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Brian Harl [bchrom831@gmail.com] handles Monday and Tuesday editions, Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] does Wednesday and Thursday, and Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com] edits the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HTP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.