Pirates Announce Keller as Home Opener Starter

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will begin their 2026 home schedule this weekend at PNC Park. The team has announced their starting pitchers for the series against the Baltimore Orioles.

Keller to Start Home Opener

Right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller will take the mound for the Pirates in their home opener on April 3rd, with first pitch scheduled for 4:12 p.m. This time is a nod to the 412 area code of the Pittsburgh region.

This is the second year in a row that Keller has been selected to start the home opener. Last year, on April 4, 2025, he started against the New York Yankees.

Keller's Recent Performance

Keller’s previous home opener against the Yankees wasn’t his strongest performance, as he allowed a season-high seven earned runs over 3.2 innings in a 9-4 loss. However, he recently delivered a strong outing against the New York Mets on March 28, 2026, throwing six scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Despite a no-decision in the game against the Mets, it was Keller’s 64th quality start since the beginning of the 2022 season, the fourth-most among National League pitchers.

Success Against the Orioles

Keller has a history of success against the Orioles, boasting a 0.69 ERA in two career starts. He notably threw seven scoreless innings and recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts in a 4-0 victory over Baltimore on May 14, 2023.

His first career start against the Orioles, on August 5, 2022, saw him allow only one earned run over six innings, though he ultimately took the loss in a 1-0 game.

Remaining Series Starters

Following Keller, Carmen Mlodzinski is scheduled to start on April 4th, and Braxton Ashcraft will close out the series on April 5th.

Mlodzinski recently pitched against the Mets on March 29, 2026, recording a career-high eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Ashcraft made his first start against the Cincinnati Reds on March 30, pitching six innings and allowing two runs.

The Pirates are hoping Mlodzinski and Ashcraft will demonstrate the ability to pitch deeper into games and solidify their positions in the starting rotation.

Source: Pirates OnSI