Cedar Rapids native Mitch Keller is coming off his best season as a big-league pitcher

FAIRFAX – Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller sits on the floor at Dugout Sports on a January morning and watches Connor Van Scoyoc throw a bullpen. Van Scoyoc, a minor-league pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels, fires a perfectly placed changeup into the mitt of Kansas City Royals minor-league catcher Tyler Cropley.

“That a boy,” Keller says.

Keller is keeping close tabs on the session. He’s the veteran of the young group of pitchers that comes to the indoor facility in Linn County to work out during the offseason. The others there on this day include C.J. Eldred, a pitcher in the minors with the Kansas City Royals, and Keaton Winn, a pitching prospect for the San Francisco Giants.

"Having him show you what's OK and what's not, it's great having that," Van Scoyoc says.

Keller has something unique to offer as the lone big-leaguer in the group. The Cedar Rapids native has logged parts of four seasons in the major leagues and is coming off his best year. With the newfound success, he’s considered a leader here in Iowa and in Pittsburgh with the Pirates’ staff.

“I definitely want to be that person,” Keller says. “If you’re leading the staff, that means you’re in a pretty good spot. That’s definitely a goal of mine is to be a leader of our staff.”

Keller wants even more success in 2023. He has his sights on becoming an All-Star, a leader and an established and reliable pitcher in the big leagues.

More: Keaton Winn went from small-town star to big-time pitching prospect for San Francisco Giants

Mitch Keller's career takes off in 2022

There have been high hopes for Keller ever since the Pirates selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft out of Cedar Rapids Xavier High School. As Keller worked his way through the minors, he became one of baseball’s top pitching prospects.

He made his big-league debut in 2019 and struggled a bit, going 1-5 with a 7.13 ERA. Keller was better during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, then had an up-and-down 2021 campaign and was briefly sent down to the minors.

Following the 2021 season, Keller worked with Tread Athletics to adjust his timing and alter his offseason workouts. Keller wanted to prove that he could be a steady piece for the Pirates, and team management needed to determine if Keller was going to be part of the Pirates' future.

"I'm not saying that someone else wouldn't give me an opportunity but yeah, it was just one of those years that it was like, 'I need to do something good,'" Keller says.

More: Connor Van Scoyoc carves out legacy of his own as successful minor-league baseball pitcher

Keller was roughed up in three of his first four outings and by mid-May he was sent to the bullpen. But the move was short-lived. The Pirates pulled Keller out of the bullpen and gave him a start against the Los Angels Dodgers on May 31.

"I didn't have fear for that start," Keller says. "I don't know why. It was one of those times that it was like, 'All right, I'm going to go out there and do my thing and give everything I got and be locked in.'"

Keller was struck out five and allowed two runs in five innings as the Pirates picked up a road win against a team that went on to win 111 games. It was a season-changing and possibly career-altering outing for Keller.

Thanks to an improved sinker, Keller's season took off. The outing against the Dodgers marked the first of five straight strong starts for Keller, who went at least five innings and surrendered three runs or less. When the season was over, he finished with a career-best 3.19 ERA and established himself as one of Pittsburgh's most reliable pitchers.

"I didn't want the season to end," Keller says. "I wanted it to keep going because I was feeling really good and I didn't want it to stop."

What's next for Mitch Keller?

Keller earned a big payday with the Pirates, avoiding arbitration after the team and player agreed to a one-year deal reportedly worth $2.44 million. It's a sign of the trust that the Pirates have in Keller and his future with the team. Unlike previous seasons, he doesn't have to prove himself. Instead, he's establishing himself as a leader on the staff.

Keller has already embraced that role, especially back in Iowa where he's looked at as a role model and mentor to the younger players he trains with in the offseason. Winn, who hails from the small Iowa town of Ollie, was added to the Giants' 40-man roster and could be on the verge of joining Keller in the big leagues this season. Keller has taken him under his wing, helping him with his cutter and giving advice on how to handle his first spring training in the majors with the Giants.

"He's really approachable and really easy to talk to," Winn says.

More: Joe Burrow, other pro athletes take a stake in Iowa with farm purchase

There's still a ton of work to be done for Keller, who has added a gyro slider to his repertoire. He used to throw the pitch and it produced a high percentage of swing and misses during the 2019 season. Keller later lost a feel for it. Now that he's brought it back, Keller hopes it'll help him reach some bigger goals − start on opening day, become an All-Star, and log 200 innings.

After turning the corner last season, Keller says he can feel it all finally coming together.

"I'm not saying there's not going to be any rocky roads coming up," Keller says, "because if I said that, that'd be the dumbest comment I could make ... but it's just how hard you get through them. And I feel like I'm in a lot better spot to get through them."

More: Is there a Field of Dreams game in Iowa this year? Here are 17 things you should know

Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa native Mitch Keller has his sights set on becoming MLB All-Star