ATLANTA -- Mitch Keller's first fastball of the night Friday turned out to be a microcosm of the evening ahead.
It clocked in at just 91.8 mph.
Keller's four-seamer clocked in at an average of 93.6 Friday at Truist Park, and his sinker was its normal tick lower than that at 92.5 mph. While his velocity has trended down a bit in September, it was almost two full mph lower than his average and a personal low on the season. With the exception of a shorter outing in August of last year, it was his lowest average fastball speed since he went to Tread Athletics during the 2021-2022 offseason, the first leap in his All-Star renaissance.