Dallas Keuchel

After his junior year at Arkansas, the Houston Astros selected Keuchel in the seventh round of the 2009 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft.[8] He signed with the Astros and began his professional career with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Low–A New York–Penn League, where he had a 2.70 ERA. He began the 2010 season with the Lancaster JetHawks of the High–A California League. After posting a 3.36 ERA, the Astros promoted him to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Double–A Texas League in July, where he had a 4.70 ERA for the remainder of the season. He began the 2011 season with Corpus Christi, and after pitching to a 3.17 ERA, received a promotion to the Oklahoma City RedHawks of the Triple–A Pacific Coast League, where he struggled with a 7.50 ERA.[2]

Keuchel began the 2012 season with Oklahoma City.

Keuchel with the Houston Astros in 2013

Keuchel made his MLB debut on June 17, 2012 against the Texas Rangers.[9] He threw a complete game in his second start.[10] Keuchel finished the 2012 season with a 5.27 ERA in 16 games started, while allowing more walks (39) than strikeouts (38). He pitched to a 5.15 ERA in the 2013 season.[11]

In 2014, Keuchel had a 9–5 win–loss record and a 3.20 ERA at the All-Star break, and was a finalist for the final American League (AL) roster spot in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game.[12] He finished the season with a 12–9 record and a 2.93 ERA.[13] For his defense, Keuchel won both the Gold Glove Award[14] and Fielding Bible Award.[15]

Keuchel pitching in 2015

In April 2015, Keuchel pitched to a 3–0 record and a 0.73 ERA in five games started. He was named the AL's Pitcher of the Month for April 2015.[13] He was honored as the AL Pitcher of the Month for May 2015, in which he pitched to a 4–1 record and a 2.62 ERA in six starts.[16] Keuchel was selected for the AL roster in the 2015 MLB All-Star Game,[17] and was chosen as the AL's starting pitcher.[18] He won his third AL Pitcher of the Month Award for August, after pitching to a 4–1 record and a 1.94 ERA in six starts.[19] Keuchel finished the 2015 season with a 15–0 record at Minute Maid Park, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to finish with an undefeated record at home with at least 14 wins.[20]

His overall record for the year was 20–8, and he had a 2.48 ERA and 216 strikeouts.[21] Among major league pitchers, he gave up the lowest percentage of hard-hit balls (21.3%).[22] He threw 3,492 pitches, more than any other major league pitcher.[23]

Keuchel with catcher Evan Gattis in 2016.

Keuchel started and won the 2015 American League Wild Card Game on three days' rest.[24] On October 11, he followed up by beating the Kansas City Royals, 4–2, in Game 3 of the AL Divisional Series, to move the Astros within one game of advancing.[25] In Game 5, Keuchel was brought in for a relief appearance on just two days of rest in the 8th inning, but he surrendered a three-run home run as the Royals extended their lead to 7–2, which they held on to win the game and the series. Following the season, Keuchel won the Cy Young Award, the Gold Glove Award, the Fielding Bible Award, and the Warren Spahn Award, given to the best left-handed pitcher in MLB.[26][27][28] Keuchel became the third Astro to win a Cy Young Award.

In 2016, Keuchel won another Gold Glove Award, but he went 9–12 with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP in 26 games pitched and 168 innings.[29] In September, Keuchel missed starts due to inflammation in his left shoulder.[30] He later admitted that he had pitched through shoulder discomfort throughout the 2016 season.[31]

Dallas Keuchel pitching at the Oakland Coliseum, September 10, 2017

Keuchel began the 2017 season by winning his fourth career AL Pitcher of the Month Award in April, after posting a 5–0 W–L and 1.21 ERA over six starts. He allowed six runs over 44+2⁄3 IP. He became the first Astros pitcher to win four; J. R. Richard was the other Astros pitcher who had won three.[32] He proceeded to start the season with a 7–0 record and a 1.84 ERA; however, on May 20, 2017, he was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a pinched nerve in his neck.[33] On June 8, 2017, Keuchel was again placed on the disabled list due to continuing neck woes.[34][35] He was selected to play in the All-Star Game, held at Marlins Park in Miami. It was his second career selection.[36][37]

Keuchel finished 2017 making 23 starts with a 14–5 record and a 2.90 ERA. The Astros won the American League West division with a 101–61 record to reach the postseason for the second time in three seasons. In the 2017 American League Division Series, the Astros faced the Boston Red Sox, and Keuchel started Game 2. He pitched 5+2⁄3 innings while allowing one run on three hits with seven strikeouts as Houston won 8–2 before winning the series two games later.[38]

Keuchel started Game 1 of the 2017 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees, which resulted in seven scoreless innings while allowing just four hits with ten strikeouts in a 2–1 victory.[39] He started Game 5 five days later, but he lasted just 4+2⁄3 innings while allowing four runs on seven hits in a 5–0 loss.[40] However, the Astros won the pennant a couple of days later to advance to their first World Series in twelve years.

In the 2017 World Series, Keuchel was tapped to start Game 1; he allowed three runs on six hits in 6+2⁄3 innings of work that saw him take the loss in a 3–1 result.[41] He pitched once more in Game 5, which saw him last just 3+2⁄3 innings and allow four runs on five hits, but the Astros battled in a classic back-and-forth game that saw them win 13–12 in ten innings. The Astros won the series days later to give Keuchel a World Series ring; he went 2–2 in the 2017 postseason.[42][43]

Three years later, it was revealed in the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal that the Astros had broken MLB rules during the 2017 season. Keuchel subsequently apologized for his role in the scandal.[44]

In 2018, Keuchel compiled a 12–11 record with a 3.74 ERA in a career-high 34 starts.[45] He had the highest ground ball percentage among major league pitchers (53.7%), and the lowest fly ball percentage (24.4%).[46][47] He also won his fourth Gold Glove.[48] He became a free agent after the 2018 season.[49]

On June 7, 2019, Keuchel signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves worth $13 million.[50] He made his first start on June 21. Over 19 starts for the year, Keuchel went 8–8 with a 3.75 ERA, striking out 91 over 112+2⁄3 innings.

On December 30, 2019, the Chicago White Sox signed Keuchel to a three-year, $55.5 million contract.[51] He made his White Sox debut on July 25, 2020, picking up a win over the Minnesota Twins.[52] In the 2020 season, he was 6–2 with a 1.99 ERA.[53] He led the AL in fewest home runs per 9 IP (0.284), and in fewest strikeouts per nine innings (6.0).[54][55]

Keuchel struggled in 2021, compiling a 9–9 record and an ERA of 5.28 in 30 starts. He gave up 189 hits and 105 runs in 162 innings and struck out 95 batters, striking out fewer batters per 9 innings (5.28) than any other pitcher in the major leagues.[56] However, he did receive his fifth Gold Glove Award.[57] During the second half of the season, his ERA was 6.82 and he struggled with a back injury.[58]

In 2022, Keuchel had a 7.88 ERA for the White Sox in eight games started. On May 28, the White Sox designated Keuchel for assignment.[59] He was released on May 30.[60]

Keuchel signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 6, 2022.[61] Keuchel started two games for the Arizona Complex League Diamondbacks before the Diamondbacks promoted him to the major leagues on June 26.[62] On July 20, 2022, the Diamondbacks designated him for assignment, clearing waivers and making him a free agent. In his short span with Arizona, Keuchel compiled a 9.68 ERA for the team in four games started.[63]

On July 25, 2022, Keuchel signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.[64] He was added to the Rangers' taxi squad on August 26.[65] Keuchel made his Rangers debut on August 27, giving up 7 earned runs over 5.1 innings pitched in a blowout 11–2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. He was designated for assignment on September 5 after posting a 12.60 ERA across 10 innings.[66] He was released by the Rangers organization the same day.[67]

On June 22, 2023, Keuchel signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins organization.[68] The Twins assigned him to the St. Paul Saints of the Triple–A International League.[69] On July 21, Keuchel bypassed an opt–out clause in his deal to remain with the Twins.[70] In 6 starts for St. Paul, he registered a 1.13 ERA with 28 strikeouts across 32.0 innings of work. On August 1, Keuchel exercised a second opt–out in his deal,[71] and was selected to the major league roster two days later following an injury to Joe Ryan.[72] On August 6, Keuchel made his debut with Minnesota, going five innings allowing eight hits, two walks, and one earned run. On August 20, he threw 6 1/3 perfect innings in a start against the Pittsburgh Pirates.[73]