BRADENTON, Fla. - Mitch Keller has shown why the Pittsburgh Pirates promoted him to Bradenton in the Florida State League this week.

The Xavier High School grad sparkled in his debut for the Bradenton Marauders Tuesday night in an 8-1 victory over Jupiter before 456 fans at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Fla.

Keller did not allow a run in six innings and got the victory. He allowed only five hits, with seven strikeouts and one walk with a fastball that was clocked in the high-90's.

Keller, a 6-foot-3 right-hander, compiled an 8-5 record and 2.46 ERA for West Virginia in the Low-A South Atlantic League this season, with 131 strikeouts and only 18 walks in 124.1 innings. That earned Keller the promotion to Bradenton and the High-A Florida State League.

Keller, 20, was selected by the Pirates in the second round of the 2014 draft.