Keller Chases Professional Dreams Across The Globe
 
Former Milwaukee baseball player Brian Keller made an important career decision in December, choosing to travel over 6,000 miles away from home when he signed a professional contract to play baseball for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball, the highest level of baseball in Japan.
 
Keller, the 2016 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year, was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 39th round of the MLB Draft in 2016 and was selected in Major League Baseball's Rule 5 Draft by the Boston Red Sox in 2019.
 
Keller has put together an impressive resume in the minors, owning a 3.18 earned run average across six seasons. The Germantown, Wis. native piled up 575 strikeouts in 554.1 innings of work and earned 34 victories.
 
Keller had an outstanding career with the Panthers from 2013 to 2016, racking up 18 wins and 239 strikeouts in 60 appearances. As a senior in 2016, Keller finished 10-3 with a 3.10 earned run average and 103 strikeouts in 107.1 innings of work as he was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Year.
 
The staff of the Roar Report sat down with Keller recently to find out more about what the future holds.
 
*You have signed to play in Japan, how did that all come about? 
 
"My agent was telling me this was a real possibility for a couple years now. And I've played with a number of guys who have gone over to Japan or Korea and loved it, so when the opportunity presented itself, it was a no brainer."
 
*Have you ever been to Japan before? 
 
"No"
 
*How do you envision dealing with the language barrier? 
 
"I will have an interpreter with me for team-related things. But I've also started to learn Japanese and hopefully I'll continue to learn during my time there."
 
*In six seasons in the minors, you really put together some successful numbers. What has been most memorable? 
 
"It's cool to think back and appreciate the progress I made over the years. And it's cool that it led me to this opportunity in Japan."
 
*What has been most frustrating? 
 
"The dream and the whole reason for grinding out all those years in the minor leagues is to make it to the big leagues. That hasn't happened for me yet, but I got to see many of my teammates and friends get that opportunity and it's fun to see."
 
*What keeps you ready to play another season of professional baseball? 
 
"Keeping the dream alive. I've worked all my life for an opportunity like this and I'm excited to keep it rolling and take that next step."
 
*Do you have a typical offseason regimen? 
 
"I like to address my shortcomings from the previous seasons and do my best to turn them into strengths. So I take the first few months to get stronger. Then, as I ramp up my throwing I'll work on my delivery, timing and speed. And then last couple months are more skill specific, so things like pitch quality and command to make sure I'm ready to compete when MLB Spring Training begins."
 
*When you look back at your time at UWM, what are some of your favorite memories? 
 
"Most of my favorite memories are away from the field. I met a lot of really good people and made a lot of good friends over those years."
 
*What did you go through as a Panther that has helped you in your professional career the most? 
 
"I lacked overpowering pitches, especially early in my college career, so I had to learn how to pitch with command and mix pitches to have any sort of success. Then, I developed some velocity and better off-speed pitches. Being able to command and mix high-quality pitches is what the best in the world do."
 
*Do you have a timeline for how long you want to play overseas?
 
"I don't have a timeline, but for now I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity I have!"