WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2015
A-:  0-3-0, 5.19 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 17.1 IP, 4.7 BB/9, 9.9 K/9
A:  0-0-0, 9.35 ERA, 2.19 WHIP, 8.2 IP, 7.3 BB/9, 15.6 K/9
A+:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 1.1 IP, 6.8 BB/9, 0.0 K/9

Keller pitched in relief at three levels, not very well.  The main issue was control problems.

2016
A:  3-2-1, 3.35 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 45.2 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 11.2 K/9

The Marlins kept Keller in extended spring training until late May, then sent him to low A.  He pitched well there against younger competition, with very good walk and K rates.

2017
A:  2-0-8, 2.28 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 67.0 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 11.6 K/9

Keller went back to low A and again pitched well, although it doesn’t mean a great deal considering the level and his experience.

2018
A+:  1-1-4, 1.59 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 17.0 IP, 0.5 BB/9, 11.6 K/9
AA:  1-3-4, 4.34 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 29.0 IP, 5.6 BB/9, 14.3 K/9
AAA:  0-1-1, 1.35 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 6.2 IP, 2.7 BB/9, 13.5 K/9

The Marlins moved Keller up to high A and he dominated there.  In mid-May, he moved up to AA and mostly pitched well there.  He had one outing, in which he gave up seven runs in a third of an inning, that inflated his numbers.  Keller finished the season in AAA.  He had very high K rates throughout.  Miami added him to the 40-man roster afterward.

2019
AA:  0-0-1, 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 12.0 K/9
AAA:   2-3-10, 4.50 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 54.0 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 12.2 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 3.38 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 10.2 IP, 6.8 BB/9, 9.3 K/9

Keller opened the season in AA, but moved up to AAA after two games.  His walk rate was OK and his K rate very high.  The ERA is probably a little misleading, as he was in the Pacific Coast League, a high-offense league, in a year when the ball was juiced.  The Marlins called him up late in the season and he pitched reasonably well in the majors, although he had control problems.  After the season, Miami traded him to the Angels.

2020
MLB:  0-0-0, 7.71 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, 2.1 IP, 7.7 BB/9, 3.9 K/9

The Angels sent Keller to their alternate site and called him up several times.  He only got into two games.

2021
AAA:  2-0-0, 1.96 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 18.1 IP, 1.5 BB/9, 15.2 K/9
MLB:  1-1-0, 6.48 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 33.1 IP, 5.9 BB/9, 9.7 K/9

The Angels designated Keller for assignment at the end of spring training, then sent him to the Pirates.  He opened the season at Indianapolis, came to Pittsburgh for three games in May, then came back up in early July.  He stayed with the Pirates nearly all of the rest of the season; they sent him to AAA twice in September, but both times called him back the next day due to injuries.  In AAA Keller dominated, with a huge K rate, but he struggled in the majors.  He gave up runs in exactly half of his 32 appearances for the Pirates, including seven of eight at one point.  He had problems with both walks and home runs, giving up nine of the latter, or nearly one every three and a half innings.  Left-handed batters torched Keller for a .933 OPS, but Derek Shelton didn’t make any particular effort to avoid having Keller face them; they made up 42% of the plate appearances against him.

The Pirates outrighted Keller to AAA after the season.  He’ll probably elect free agency.