"Lets Fucking Do It" Mitch Keller's Reaction To Hearing He's Getting His 2nd Straight Opening Day Start Minutes After Signing The Biggest Extension For A Pitcher In Pirates History Is Awesome
I mentioned the other day that the Pirates quietly have been putting together a nice team, especially with their pitchers. Mitch Keller is a big piece of that and rightfully so. 13-9 last year with a 4.21 ERA in 32 starts. 210 Ks in 194.1 IP and a 1.245 WHIP as well. Decent numbers, but he's a really good pitcher. The same day he earned the biggest extension for a Pirate pitcher ever, 5 years and a reported $77 Million, he gets told that he is the Buccos Opening Day starter for the 2nd year in a row. An awesome scene in manager Derek Shelton's office.
Anytime you tell a pitcher that he's starting and his answer is "Yeah, let's fucking do it!" you have to be jazzed up. Shelton gave him a bottle of champagne like he did last year when he was named OD starter, he can probably afford a nicer bottle this year too. What a few days for the kid, signing a life changing extension and you also get your second OD nod for a team that is slowly coming together, cool moment for Keller. Shelton seems to really have a connection with his players, not something that is easy to do with a bad team. But he seems like he has these young guys bought in and believing in the team and themselves. And I also love the Pirates social team putting this out, they did it last year and it was awesome to see how emotional Keller and was how much this means to him.
You could see how caught off guard he was last year, this year he probably knew it was coming, but not on the same day that he signed for that big extension. Have a day, Mitch Keller. That champagne is going to taste mighty fine tonight I assume.