Cedar Rapids native Mitch Keller named to Major League Baseball All-Star Game

CEDAR RAPIDS — From a potentially failed prospect to an all-star.

It’s been quite a ride for Mitch Keller.

The Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher and Cedar Rapids Xavier graduate was named to the National League team for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game is July 11 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

“A lot of hard work, a lot of people supporting me along the way,” Keller told local reporters. “Family, coaches, teammates, probably a lot of people I’m missing. Just everybody the past couple years. It’s really cool. Really cool moment.”

Keller was informed of his All-Star Game inclusion prior to Pittsburgh’s home game Sunday afternoon against Milwaukee. Pirates Manager Derek Shelton will be part of the National League’s coaching staff.

Keller, 27, was Pittsburgh’s second-round draft pick in 2014 out of Xavier and rocketed through the club’s minor-league system. He made his major-league debut in 2019 but struggled in 11 starts that season and struggled even more in 23 starts in 2021.

He had a 6.03 earned run average in 170 1/3 innings between 2019 and 2021.

But he began to turn things and his career around last season, rediscovering his mid to high-90s velocity through offseason work, then incorporating a sinker and sweeping slider to his repertoire of pitches. The result is a 9-3 record and 3.34 ERA in 17 starts this season for the Pirates.

He has allowed only 88 hits in 105 innings, walked only 28 and struck out 118.

“To be recognized is really cool. I guess validation, I don’t know," Keller said. "As soon as you say you made it, the game will humble you right back. Just trying to stay the same guy. Really cool recognition. Just super proud of myself and everybody else who has helped me along the way.”

“He deserves to be on this team,” Shelton said. “I do think we have some other people that do deserve to be on this team. I think it’s unfortunate that we’re in a situation where we only have one. But Mitch deserves to be on this team.”

Keller is the first Cedar Rapids native to become an MLB All-Star. He is the first MLB All-Star from Iowa since Pirates reliever Tony Watson in 2014.

Watson graduated from Dallas Center-Grimes High School.

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