I don't discriminate - if a pitcher gets batters out, he's my kind of pitcher no matter how he does it.
In KC we here a lot about 'clubhouse' leaders and I feel Keller certainly fits the mold. He doesn't create havoc on the mound (like Ventura) and he isn't a me guy. What he is is a 'we' guy who simply goes about his business and gets batters out.
The other intangible he provides is that, like Holland (the difference is Holly is a wily vet and Keller still just a pup of sorts), he gets the 'pitching brain soup'. He can teach some of these other arms that there is more one way to skin a cat.
For those results and for those intangibles I certainly wouldn't mind us resigning him.
I agree that I enjoy the “we” attitude of Keller. I always enjoy the quiet good guys who just go out there and do their job and walk off the mound into the dugout poised. Yeah the fist pumps and flailing gets folks hyped up also, but it seems so overplayed anymore on ESPN. Give me the guy who is disciplined, and you know what you are going to get out of him. Not every pitcher on the team, in the minors, or playing little league right now are going to be some “hot shot, loud, obnoxious, IN YOUR FACE LOOK AT ME” type of guy. Keller is the perfect example of a pitcher you’d want your kid to watch as far as mound presence.
Pretty cool piece. I did look into the Cahill and Masterson comps and you're right, it's so tough to compare them because Keller throws the ball way harder. However, they did kind of boast similar profiles, especially in regard to K and BB rates as well as contact rates. That being said, I think Keller's FB and the possibility of him adding a changeup could be a game-changer, and I wonder if that could perhaps affect some of his rates next year and beyond (unlike Cahill and Masterson).
Also interesting that Cahill and Masterson both had solid 3-4 year stretches at different points and then hit massive injury issues that derailed their careers. I'm hoping something similar doesn't happen to Keller.
I would be in favor of extending him based on what he's shown over 3 seasons. If 4 of the young arms prove to be ML starters, you still need a fifth. Any fewer, and Keller has still shown enough to be counted on as a solid piece of a good rotation.
I don't discriminate - if a pitcher gets batters out, he's my kind of pitcher no matter how he does it.
In KC we here a lot about 'clubhouse' leaders and I feel Keller certainly fits the mold. He doesn't create havoc on the mound (like Ventura) and he isn't a me guy. What he is is a 'we' guy who simply goes about his business and gets batters out.
The other intangible he provides is that, like Holland (the difference is Holly is a wily vet and Keller still just a pup of sorts), he gets the 'pitching brain soup'. He can teach some of these other arms that there is more one way to skin a cat.
For those results and for those intangibles I certainly wouldn't mind us resigning him.
I agree that I enjoy the “we” attitude of Keller. I always enjoy the quiet good guys who just go out there and do their job and walk off the mound into the dugout poised. Yeah the fist pumps and flailing gets folks hyped up also, but it seems so overplayed anymore on ESPN. Give me the guy who is disciplined, and you know what you are going to get out of him. Not every pitcher on the team, in the minors, or playing little league right now are going to be some “hot shot, loud, obnoxious, IN YOUR FACE LOOK AT ME” type of guy. Keller is the perfect example of a pitcher you’d want your kid to watch as far as mound presence.
Pretty cool piece. I did look into the Cahill and Masterson comps and you're right, it's so tough to compare them because Keller throws the ball way harder. However, they did kind of boast similar profiles, especially in regard to K and BB rates as well as contact rates. That being said, I think Keller's FB and the possibility of him adding a changeup could be a game-changer, and I wonder if that could perhaps affect some of his rates next year and beyond (unlike Cahill and Masterson).
Also interesting that Cahill and Masterson both had solid 3-4 year stretches at different points and then hit massive injury issues that derailed their careers. I'm hoping something similar doesn't happen to Keller.
I would be in favor of extending him based on what he's shown over 3 seasons. If 4 of the young arms prove to be ML starters, you still need a fifth. Any fewer, and Keller has still shown enough to be counted on as a solid piece of a good rotation.