Dallas Keuchel (, KY-kəl; born January 1, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Athletics organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, and Milwaukee Brewers, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Keuchel attended the University of Arkansas, where he played baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Keuchel made his MLB debut in 2012. In 2014, he was awarded both the Gold Glove Award and the Fielding Bible Award. Keuchel was named the starting pitcher for the American League in the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. Following the 2015 season, he won the American League Cy Young Award along with his second Gold Glove and Fielding Bible Awards. Keuchel was a member of the World Series champion 2017 Houston Astros. He played for the Atlanta Braves in 2019 and signed a three-year contract with the Chicago White Sox before the 2020 season. The White Sox designated Keuchel for assignment and subsequently released him in May 2022. Later in the year he was signed first by the Arizona Diamondbacks and then by the Texas Rangers, both of which later designated him for assignment. He is a two-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove winner.
Keuchel attended Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he led the baseball team to the state championship.
Keuchel then attended the University of Arkansas, where he played college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team. He registered a 5.88 earned run average (ERA) as a freshman, a 4.58 ERA as a sophomore, and a 3.92 ERA as a junior. In 2007 and 2008, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was a league all-star in 2008.
During the 2009 season, Keuchel led the Razorbacks as the Friday-night ace. The final regular season series was against Drew Pomeranz and #9 Ole Miss at Baum Stadium. The Razorbacks committed four errors in Keuchel's last regular season start, and he was tagged with the loss, ending the regular season with a 7–3 record. However, Keuchel led the Arkansas pitching staff to the 2009 College World Series in Omaha. Arkansas finished the CWS 3rd nationally that season.
After his junior year at Arkansas, the Houston Astros selected Keuchel in the seventh round of the 2009 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. He signed with the Astros and began his professional career with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Low–A New York–Penn League, where he had a 2.70 ERA. He began the 2010 season with the Lancaster JetHawks of the High–A California League. After posting a 3.36 ERA, the Astros promoted him to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Double–A Texas League in July, where he had a 4.70 ERA for the remainder of the season. He began the 2011 season with Corpus Christi, and after pitching to a 3.17 ERA, received a promotion to the Oklahoma City RedHawks of the Triple–A Pacific Coast League, where he struggled with a 7.50 ERA.
Keuchel began the 2012 season with Oklahoma City.
Keuchel made his MLB debut on June 17, 2012 against the Texas Rangers. He threw a complete game in his second start. Keuchel finished the 2012 season with a 5.27 ERA in 16 games started, while allowing more walks (39) than strikeouts (38). He pitched to a 5.15 ERA in the 2013 season.
In 2014, Keuchel had a 9–5 win–loss record and a 3.20 ERA at the All-Star break, and was a finalist for the final American League (AL) roster spot in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game. He finished the season with a 12–9 record and a 2.93 ERA. For his defense, Keuchel won both the Gold Glove Award and Fielding Bible Award.
In April 2015, Keuchel pitched to a 3–0 record and a 0.73 ERA in five games started. He was named the AL's Pitcher of the Month for April 2015. He was honored as the AL Pitcher of the Month for May 2015, in which he pitched to a 4–1 record and a 2.62 ERA in six starts. Keuchel was selected for the AL roster in the 2015 MLB All-Star Game, and was chosen as the AL's starting pitcher.
On August 1, Keuchel yielded two runs on two hits over six innings and struck out 8 to move to 13–5. It was Keuchel's 33rd consecutive games going at least 6 innings, which set a franchise record. He won his third AL Pitcher of the Month Award for August, after pitching to a 4–1 record and a 1.94 ERA in six starts.
On September 27, Keuchel established the club record for strikeouts for a left-hander when he fanned Mike Napoli in the first inning, one of 10 strikeouts versus Texas to pass Mike Cuellar, who had 203 for Houston in 1967.
With a 15–0 record and 1.46 ERA at Minute Maid Park, Keuchel established the major league record for most victories at home while remaining undefeated there in one season. Prior to Keuchel, rotations mates Dave Ferriss and Tex Hughson shared the record while with the 1946 Boston Red Sox, each going 13–0 at Fenway Park. Keuchel's ERA was also the lowest home ERA by an AL pitcher since Nolan Ryan surrendered just a 1.07 figure for the 1972 California Angels.
Keuchel's overall record for the year was 20–8, and he had a 2.48 ERA and 216 strikeouts. Among major league pitchers, he gave up the lowest percentage of hard-hit balls (21.3%). He threw 3,492 pitches, more than any other major league pitcher.
Keuchel started and won the AL Wild Card Game versus the New York Yankees on three days' rest. On October 11, he followed up by beating the Kansas City Royals, 4–2, in Game 3 of the AL Divisional Series (ALDS) while remaining undefeated at home in 2015 and move the Astros within one game of advancing. In Game 5, Keuchel was brought in for a relief appearance on just two days of rest in the 8th inning; however, he surrendered a three-run home run as the Royals extended their lead to 7–2, which they held on to win the game and the series. Following the season, Keuchel won the Cy Young Award, the Gold Glove Award, the Fielding Bible Award, and the Warren Spahn Award, given to the best left-handed pitcher in MLB. Keuchel became the third Astro to win a Cy Young Award.
In 2016, Keuchel won another Gold Glove Award, but he went 9–12 with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP in 26 games pitched and 168 innings. In September, Keuchel missed starts due to inflammation in his left shoulder. He later admitted that he had pitched through shoulder discomfort throughout the 2016 season.
Keuchel began the 2017 season by winning his fourth career AL Pitcher of the Month Award in April, after posting a 5–0 W–L and 1.21 ERA over six starts. He allowed six runs over 44+2⁄3 IP. He became the first Astros pitcher to win four; J. R. Richard was the other Astros pitcher who had won three. He proceeded to start the season with a 7–0 record and a 1.84 ERA; however, on May 20, 2017, he was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a pinched nerve in his neck. On June 8, 2017, Keuchel was again placed on the disabled list due to continuing neck woes. He was selected to play in the All-Star Game, held at Marlins Park in Miami. It was his second career selection.
Keuchel finished 2017 making 23 starts with a 14–5 record and a 2.90 ERA. The Astros won the American League West division with a 101–61 record to reach the postseason for the second time in three seasons. In the 2017 American League Division Series, the Astros faced the Boston Red Sox, and Keuchel started Game 2. He pitched 5+2⁄3 innings while allowing one run on three hits with seven strikeouts as Houston won 8–2 before winning the series two games later.