VIDEO: Behind-the-Plate Angle of Pirates Reliever Keone Kela's Breaking Ball is Incredible
By Jackson Thompson
Pittsburgh Pirates closer Keone Kela may have made the pitch of the spring on Sunday with a breaking ball that appeared to have a mind of its own, as it took a crashing dip to force a swing and a miss by Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Alford.
Watching this on loop. pic.twitter.com/zA0QuiZOBB
— Pirates (@Pirates) March 1, 2020
Kela was named Pittsburgh's closer for 2020 on February 12, and if he can consistently make pitches at the end of Pirates games like the one he made against Alford on Sunday, Pittsburgh will be a very tough team to mount a late-inning comeback against.
The Pirates have their closer. Derek Shelton told reporters on Wednesday that Keone Kela will indeed fill the role in 2020 for the Pirates.
— Post-Gazette Sports (@PGSportsNow) February 12, 2020
From: @nwilborn19 ⬇️https://t.co/JFyN0CV81Z
Kela held a 2-0 record with a 2.12 ERA and 33 strikeouts in about 30 innings of work for the Pirates last season. He also made a plethora of saves for the Texas Rangers before coming over to the Pirates at the 2018 MLB trade deadline.