Fansided

One prospect each MLB team should call up right now

By Joshua Sadlock

MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 27: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during the MLB preseason game at Olympic Stadium on March 27, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 27: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during the MLB preseason game at Olympic Stadium on March 27, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FL – JULY 15: Mitch Keller of the Marauders delivers a pitch to the plate during the Florida State League game between the Bradenton Marauders and the Dunedin Blue Jays on July 15, 2017, at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – JULY 15: Mitch Keller of the Marauders delivers a pitch to the plate during the Florida State League game between the Bradenton Marauders and the Dunedin Blue Jays on July 15, 2017, at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Pittsburgh Pirates: Mitch Keller

A hot start to the 2018 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates has evaporated for the most part, and they will spend the rest of the year fighting to stay above .500. Even after the trades of Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole, the Pirates are a scrappy team with plenty of youth. They won’t be able to keep up with the big guns at the top of the NL Central, but the tide could turn relatively quickly because they decided to pull the trigger on a rebuild at the right time.

Pitching and timely hitting defined the Pirates string of playoff berths in recent years, and they will have to follow the same formula to get back to the same position in the future. Trevor Williams, Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl and Joe Musgrove give Pittsburgh a solid core to build their rotation around. Right-hander Mitch Keller is next in line.

Keller, 22, is the number-13 prospect in baseball and the third-rated right-handed pitcher. He drew rave reviews after reaching Double-A ahead of schedule and was dominant in the Arizona Fall League last year. Keller can touch 98 mph with his fastball without sacrificing any command. He will cruise in the mid-nineties with his heater and backs it up with a sharp breaking ball and changeup.

The Pirates have already called up their top hitting prospect, Austin Meadows, and are already reaping the rewards as he has four home runs in his first 12 games. Keller is a more complete pitching prospect than Tyler Glasnow, who has struggled with command and has been moved to the bullpen. Pittsburgh isn’t dead in the race for the second NL Wild Card, and their top pitching prospect has what it takes to keep them on the fringes of contention.

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