MESA, Ariz. — Brad Keller announced his arrival to the big leagues with an exclamation point.

Over his first three seasons (2018-2020), he had a 3.50 ERA in 78 games (57 games started), a 1.29 WHIP, and a 132 ERA+, 31 percentage points above league average.

Thursday afternoon in Glendale, he showed flashes of being that type of player.

[MORE: How one basketball shot resulted in a new jersey number for Cubs speedster Pete Crow-Armstrong]

Keller, who was signed on a minor-league deal with an invite to big-league camp in the winter, struck out 2 and allowed a walk and 2 hits over 1.2 innings against the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch.

The real eye-popping stuff, though came on the radar gun. His four-seam fastball topped out at 97.9 mph, a big jump up from last season when he was sitting at 93.8 mph on that pitch.

“I think Brad Keller certainly was a little little more than we expected,” manager Craig Counsell said on Friday morning. “And that’s always a good thing.”

Keller struggled after the hot start to his career. In 2021, he had a 5.39 ERA and the next season was moved to the bullpen after he struggled to begin the year then he suffered injuries in 2023 that limited him to 11 games. He signed a minor-league deal with the White Sox last year and pitched in 16 games between them and the Red Sox, making 2 starts and posting a 5.44 ERA.

The Cubs brought him in not to be a relief option — despite the uptick in velocity, the Cubs still believe the makings of a major-league starter are there.

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For a team looking to accumulate as much starting depth as possible for the grind that is a major league season, players like Keller breaking out are always welcome.

“I’d like to take a longer view with Brad Keller, because I think there’s some ingredients there that can make him a very good pitcher, a very good starting pitcher,” Counsell said. “This is a pitcher that had big success in the league at a very young age and I always take note of that. I think that’s important to take note of. It’s in there.

“There’s a really good major league starting pitcher in there. That’s the guy that we want. And so right now, that’s the track that we’re taking.”

PCA, Amaya shine in win over Dodgers

Part of the Cubs’ offensive woes early in 2024 stemmed from the struggles of their bottom of the order — especially Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya. But, by the last two months of the season, there’s an argument to be made that pair was as crucial as any hitter in the lineup.

From July 7 on (when Amaya dropped his leg kick for a toe tap and almost three weeks before Crow-Armstrong incorporated a bit of a leg kick) the duo combined to his .268 with a .767 OPS, 15 home runs and 64 RBI.

Friday afternoon, the duo picked up right where they left off in their Cactus League debut.

In the 3rd inning, Pete Crow-Armstrong roped a double and Amaya followed with a 2-run home run in the Cubs’ 7-3 win over the Dodgers.

Next Up

The Cubs host the White Sox for a Cactus League version of the crosstown classic. Lefty Justin Steele will make his spring debut against the White Sox.