4. Which team have you had the most strikeouts against?
Keller: “It’s got to be an NL Central team. Probably the Cubs? No. Cardinals? Cardinals are second. Brewers?"
Fourth try’s a charm. It’s the Reds, both at home (48) and in general (83). The Cardinals are second at PNC Park with 33.
Keller: “I feel like I strike out the Cubs a lot, more than anyone else. Dang, that’s crazy.”
5. What pitch do you have the most strikeouts with in your career?
Keller: “Four-seam fastball.”
6. OK, that was a layup. What about which breaking ball?
Keller: “Slider? Or is it sweeper?”
Of course the four-seamer is the primary strikeout pitch, getting 289 with his heater. For the breaking ball, it’s the sweeper, a pitch Keller didn’t start throwing until halfway through the 2022 season. He was adding pitches to his repertoire, most notably the sinker, and it was around that time that his slider started to evolve. It eventually divided into two pitches, the gyro slider and the sweeper, the latter of which has been strike three 152 times in his career.
“It just naturally started getting a bigger shape throughout the year,” Keller said.
7. Outside of PNC Park, which ballpark have you had the most strikeouts?
Keller: “Cincinnati?”
I might have set Keller up for this one by saying he struck out the most Reds. It’s actually American Family Field in Milwaukee, where he has 36 strikeouts in his career. Great American Ball Park and Busch Stadium are tied for second with 35 each.
