Pirates broadcast reveals Don Kelly saved Mitch Keller’s career with 2021 pep talk

Don Kelly is working hard towards keeping a managerial position for beyond 2025. Though the Pittsburgh Pirates still aren't a playoff contender, they have since played better baseball after the dismissal of Derek Shelton.

Some of the key traits a manager must possess are how to respond to player struggles and figure out ways to get them out of it. The Pirates broadcast team revealed an interesting story involving Kelly years prior to becoming the manager where he reached out to Max Scherzer to help Mitch Keller through his 2021 struggles.

Keller was going through some growing pains in his development back then, leading to his demotion to the minor leagues. Kelly set up the meeting in 2021, and in the discussion Scherzer gave Keller an intriguing analogy to finding better outcomes on the mound.

"We just talked about casinos and insurance companies going off of probabilities and starting pitchers how if you get first pitch strikes and first two out of three strikes, if you can get to a 1-2 count or 0-2 count as fast as possible, the probability is way in your favor," Keller recalled via an interview with Hannah Mears.

Keller really used this to make him the pitcher he is today, focusing on limiting the walks and making hitters more off-balance. Since then, his BB/9 has progressively dropped each season, now at a career-best of 2.15.

"This just really stuck with me after that conversation and really simplified my approach out there. It doesn't matter how nasty the pitch is, doesn't matter how hard you're throwing it. At the end of the day, if you can fill up the strike zone, it puts the pressure on the hitter and makes them uncomfortable."

Don Kelly saved Mitch Keller's career back in 2021 by setting up a meeting with Max Scherzer

Ever since, Keller has attended an All-Star game, landed a $77 million extension, and has the 18th best ERA in the National League at 3.58. He has also started in over 30 games for three consecutive seasons and is once again on pace to do it for a fourth.

Keller truly admired "Scherzer's competitiveness" on the mound, he later shared in the interview. That aspect of his game, paired with that analogy, is really what guided him towards his success.

After all, without Kelly, this connection wouldn't have been able to happen. Keller found a mentor with advice to follow, setting him up for success in his young career after all the ups and downs. It would be a real shame if the Pirates traded away Keller after his development throughout the organization, especially after hearing this inspiring moment.