Xavier’s Keller goes in 2nd round to Pirates

Mitch Keller's future probably was sealed late Thursday night, whether he'll admit it right now or not.

You can bet the farm he'll be a professional baseball player.

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected the Cedar Rapids Xavier pitcher in the second round of the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft, with the 64th overall pick.

Keller has signed with the University of North Carolina, but said going into the draft he would likely turn pro if he was drafted in the first three rounds. About 10:40 p.m, the Pirates announced they had taken him.

'Not really supposed to say anything right now,” Keller said, when asked if he already has struck a deal with the Pirates. 'I wish I could, but I really can't.”

A 6-foot-3 right-hander, Keller had a strong winter showcase season that significantly enhanced his reputation among scouts. A change in his delivery helped him gain roughly five miles per hour on his fastball, to as much as 95.

He is the third Metro prep to be selected in the second round of an MLB draft. Xavier's Ryan Sweeney went 52nd overall in 2003 to the Chicago White Sox, while his brother, Kellen, was drafted 69th overall in 2010 by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Major League Baseball has assigned dollar amounts to each pick in the draft, with the 64th overall selection worth $886,800. Though that is negotiable.

'I was watching it on TV with my family,” Keller said. 'I had my phone right there on the arm rest of the chair. I started to get nervous there after awhile, so I texted my advisor to see if he had heard anything. He said no, and that's when I really got nervous. Then all of a sudden I got a call from a scout and everything started happening fast.”

Keller's older brother, Jon, pitches in the Baltimore Orioles organization for the Delmarva Shorebirds. He was drafted in the 11th round by the Seattle Mariners his senior year at Xavier but did not sign and slipped to the 22nd round of last year's draft because of concerns about the health of his elbow.

Those disappointments were not lost on Mitch as he watched the draft Thursday.

'Going through it with my brother twice, being told I might go somewhere between 35 and 50 (overall), then not seeing my name, I started to worry the same thing was going to happen to me,” he said. 'I'm just so happy right now. So happy.”