Healthy, not opposing batters, might be the righty’s biggest challenge this summer
Seth Keener
Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
6´2´´
195 pounds
Age: 23
2024 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 20
2024 High Level Winston-Salem (High-A)
Age relative to high level -1.0 years
SSS rank among all right-handed starters in the system 8
Overall 2024 stats 4-4 ⚾️ 16 starts ⚾️ 69 1⁄3 IP ⚾️ 4.02 ERA ⚾️ 1.298 WHIP ⚾️ 82 K ⚾️ 36 BB ⚾️ 0.7 Simple WAR
Strap it down for an incoming cliché, but Keener’s 2024 was truly a tale of two seasons, split wide open by injury. The good part, through June, was spectacular: 3.30 ERA over more than 62 innings, ticked by just 11 extra-base hits (.272 slugging) and ONE homer. Perhaps even better for a converted reliever, Keener was knocking on the door of five innings per start.
Then, this doggone country had to celebrate its birthday, and in a July 4 holiday start hosting Fayetteville something went really wrong for Seth. Sure, he was knocked out of the box, hitting three batters and walking four of the 11 he faced. But it was more than that, because Keener sat for the next two months with an undisclosed injury. And worse, his return at the end of August came with a promotion to Winston-Salem, and in two starts the righty got knocked around, with seven earned runs over five innings.
Because we hold Keener in high regard, and acknowledge he was healthy enough to pitch into the fall with some instructional starts, we’re going to put our thumbs on the stellar first half he stitched together as we peer into 2025. At his finest, Keener displays just enough command to keep hitters on their toes, and with a changeup wedging into his arsenal this summer, sunny days should be back again.
Keener’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Durability 78 (-6 from last season)
Strikeouts 78 (-3)
vsPower 77 (-2)
Hittable 77 (-2)
K/BB 75 (-11)
Walks 67 (-12)
Average 75.33 (-6.00)
Keener dropped his FIP by almost three runs from 2022 to 2033, and the biggest change he made was making his slider his primary pitch. In 2022, his fastball was hammered and his slider got a ton of swings-and-misses, so he decided to do the logical thing and throw it a lot more. What drove his overall success was that he was able to maintain an almost identical whiff rate while increasing slider use.
Keener is another pitcher who seems to use deception to his advantage. His slider doesn’t feature big break, but with its “slurvey” shape and mid-80s velo, it an atypical combo that hitters aren’t used to seeing, especially as much as Keener featured it. He also had a very good pitch mix regardless of the count state, often flipping in sliders or even changeups when down in the count.
What makes the development of Keener’s changeup essential to his remaining a starter is the fact that his fastball is presented in far more a pedestrian manner than the stellar slider.
However, it remains more health than opposing batters that will challenge Keener in 2025. At full strength, he’ll be stellar in Winston-Salem with a ticket to Birmingham in the second half. Battling more injury, Keener will retreat back to the pen, where he saw success collegiately and can ride his slider to his heart’s content.
2025 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox Prospects
26. Seth Keener, RHSP
27. William Bergolla, 2B
28. Samuel Zavala, CF
29. Peyton Pallette, RHRP
30. Jake Eder, LHSP
31. Juan Carela, RHSP
32. Javier Mogollón, SS
33. Nick McLain, RF
34. Ronny Hernandez, C
35. Casey Saucke, RF
36. Eric Adler, RHRP
37. Rikuu Nishida, 2B
38. Shane Smith, RHSP
39. Tim Elko, 1B
40. Zach DeLoach, LF
41. Riley Gowens, RHSP
42. Prelander Berroa, RHRP
43. Sam Antonacci, 2B
44. Adisyn Coffey, RHRP
45. Jarold Rosado, RHRP
46. Ryan Galanie, 1B
47. Trey McGough, LHRP
48. Ricardo Brizuela, RHSP
49. Lucas Gordon, LHSP
50. Aaron Combs, RHRP (traded to Phillies on January 1)
51. DJ Gladney, RF
52. Abraham Núñez, CF
53. Andre Lipcius, 1B
54. Shawn Goosenberg, 1B
55. Caden Connor, 1B
56. Mario Camilletti, 2B
57. Jake Peppers, RHSP
58. Ryan Burrowes, SS
59. Garrett Schoenle, LHRP
60. Jackson Appel, C
61. Tommy Vail, LHSP
62. Bryce Collins, RHRP
63. Tanner McDougal, RHSP
64. Stiven Flores, C
65. T.J. McCants, CF
66. Gil Luna, LHRP
67. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
68. Zach Franklin, RHRP
69. Drew Dalquist, RHRP
70. Nick Altermatt, RHRP
71. Carson Jacobs, RHRP
72. Alec Makarewicz, 1B
73. Jacob Burke, CF
74. Calvin Harris, C
75. Terrell Tatum, CF
76. Phil Fox, RHRP
77. Reudis Diaz, RHSP
78. Jurdrick Profar, SS
79. Drew McDaniel, RHSP
80. Michael Turner, C
81. Caleb Freeman, RHRP
82. Braden Shewmake, SS (designated for assignment on January 1, claimed by Royals)
83. Connor McCullough, RHSP
84. Shane Murphy, LHSP
85. Mikey Kane, 1B
86. Daniel González, LHRP
87. Wes Kath, 3B
88. Pierce George, RHRP
89. Tristan Stivors, RHRP
90. Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, RHRP
91. Chase Plymell, RHRP
92. Eddie Park, CF
93. Loidel Chapelli, 2B
94. Adam Hackenberg, C
95. Adrian Gil, 1B
96. Jared Kelley, RHRP
97. Lyle Miller-Green, 1B
98. Marcelo Alcala, RF
99. Drake Logan, LF
100. Cole McConnell, CF