Pirates Starting Pitcher for Home Opener Revealed
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will have their home opener this weekend and now have their starting pitcher as well.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller will start the home opener against the New York Yankees on April 4 with first pitch set for 4:12 p.m. at PNC Park, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Derek Shelton says that Mitch Keller will start Friday's home opener. He is in line with Skenes starting Wednesday, but it felt like something that would be better to get confirmation on, for those planning to attend the game.
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) March 31, 2025
Keller started the second game for the Pirates, a 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park in Miami on March 28.
He had a solid outing, allowing just five hits, one walk and one earned run, while striking out four batters over six innings of work on 86 pitches.
Keller was the only Pirates starter to win their game in the opening series, as the Pirates lost their other three games.
None of right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes, nor left-handed pitchers Bailey Falter and Andrew Heaney lost their starts either, as the bullpen, hitting and defense all combined for three walk-off defeats.
He finished his fourth full season with the Pirates in 2024. He started 31 contests, posting an 11-12 record, a 4.25 ERA over 178.0 innings pitched, 166 strikeouts to 50 walks and a .261 opposing batting average.
Keller earned his first and only All-Star nod in 2023, as he held a 9-4 record in 19 starts, a 3.31 ERA over 117.1 innings pitched, and 129 strikeouts to 34 walks before All-Star weekend.
He is currently in his seventh season overall with the Pirates, holding a 37-50 record in 134 games pitched and 132 starts. He also has a career 4.57 ERA over 707.2 innings pitched and 691 strikeouts.
The 28-year old hails from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and played for Xavier High School in the city.
Pittsburgh took Keller in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft and he joined with the franchise on a $1,000,000 signing bonus, forgoing his commitment to North Carolina.
Keller spent more than five seasons from 2014-19 in the Pirates minor league system, making it up to Triple-A Indianapolis in 2018 and earning International League Pitcher of the Year honors in 2019.
The Pirates called him up on May 27, 2019 and he earned a spot in the starting rotation in August of that season, which he's held ever since.
Shelton didn't officially announce a starter against the Rays on April 1 and it is likely that Skenes will start on April 2. The Pirates have off on April 3.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.