Pittsburgh Pirates Minors: Three Pitchers Named Triple-A All-Stars

A trio of Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers have been named Triple-A All-Stars for their performance with the Indianapolis Indians this season

It’s all-star season around baseball. On Thursday, the teams for the International All-Star Game were announced. A trio of Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers have been named to the IL squad for their performances with Triple-A Indianapolis this season.

The three pitchers named to the IL squad are starter Mitch Keller, and relievers Montana DuRapau and Dovydas Neverauskas. This is Keller’s first Triple-A All-Star bid, while it’s the second for both Durapau and Neverauskas.

In 12 starts for the Indians this season Keller owns a 2.89 ERA and a 3.69 FIP in 65 1/3 innings of work. He has struck out 29.2% of batters faced, his walk rate is 9.1%, and he has allowed just three home runs in his first full season at the Triple-A level.

Keller has also made three starts for the Pirates this season. In these three starts he has pitched just 12 innings while posting a 10.50 ERA. However, he has improved with each start and thanks to allowing just one home run and striking out 15, his FIP is a strong 3.27. He should find his way back into the Pirate rotation before the end of the season.

DuRapau has been dominant for the Indians this season. In 24 1/3 innings pitched he’s posted a 1.11 ERA and a 3.24 FIP. He has allowed just seven hits, walked eight, he has been taken deep just once, and he has struck out 26.

With the Pirates, the righty reliever owns a 9.31 ERA and a 6.29 FIP in 6 2/3 innings of work. He’s allowed 15 hits, three home runs, four walks, and struck out 12 at the Big League level.

Finally, there is the Lithuania native Neverauskas. Like DuRapau, Neverauskas has been excellent at Triple-A while struggling with the Pirates. He owns a 2.31 ERA, 3.06 FIP, a 6.5% walk rate, and a 32.3% strikeout rate in the minors. Meanwhile, with the Pirates, Neverauskas owns a 9.95 ERA, 4.61 FIP, 13.9% walk rate, and a 16.7% strikeout rate.

The 2019 RMHC Triple-A All-Star Game will be played on Wednesday, July 10th. First pitch is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. in the East. The game will be played at Southwest University Park, home of the Pacific Coast League’s El Paso Chihuahuas. The game will be broadcast live on the MLB Network.