Reliever Kyle Keller Revels in Full Japan Pro Baseball Experience in 1st Year with Yomiuri After Starting Career with Hanshin

By John E. Gibson / Japan News Sportswriter

15:57 JST, August 13, 2024

It seems like every team in Nippon Professional Baseball has some sort of rivalry with Yomiuri, but Kyle Keller said moving from the Hanshin Tigers to the Giants in the offseason has given him more perspective on the national view of both teams.

The right-hander said the passion is palpable, from the media coverage to the fans on both sides.

“I don’t see too much of the TV and newspaper stuff just because of my language difficulty. I can stay away from that pretty good,” Keller told The Japan News on July 15 before a game against his former club at Tokyo Dome.

“But you can feel every game — you can feel how much it means to the fans, how much it means to the team. You can feel it, but it’s a good thing,” said Keller, who joined the Tigers in 2022 after time with the Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations.

Keller said he still has relationships with many of the Hanshin players, coaches and staff, and relishes the challenge of going up against the Central League rival at every opportunity.

“I love it. A lot of my friends [are] over there. And it’s good to compete against them, I’ve been competing with them for two years, but then now I’m pitching against them, and it’s been fun.

“I think I’ve only seen them a couple of times this year, but I’m always excited to pitch against those guys,” said the 193-centimeter, 92-kilogram hurler.

The 31-year-old has faced the Tigers five times this season, posting a flawless ERA over a combined 41/3 innings. Keller fired a scoreless inning, striking out two, against Hanshin on July 15, but the Giants failed to rally late and lost 2-0. He notched his first save with Yomiuri on Monday night, working a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts in a 1-0 victory over the Tigers.

Keller has a 1.48 ERA with 12 holds over 301/3 innings this year for the Giants, fanning 35 with a WHIP of 0.96.

And at the Big Egg, he has nine walks, but a very effective 0.61 ERA with 18 strikeouts over 142/3 innings over 17 outings.

His addition has been a boost for CL’s second-place team in the first half of the season, and Keller eyes increased opportunities on the Tokyo Dome hill.

“I always have loved this mound. I feel like I’ve pitched well for two years here, so I love it,” he said.

The Giants are contending for the CL title, and an effective Keller figures to help them get over the hill.