While the Pirates were getting ready to face the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on Wednesday, Mitch Keller was already making the day about something bigger than baseball.
In the dugout, Keller spent time with 9-year-old Jordon Kessler of Verona, a young cancer survivor who has become much more than a guest at the ballpark. Jordon was there with his younger brother Jonah and their parents, Aubrey and Jordon Sr., as the families continued a bond that started in July 2024, when Mitch and his wife, Clancy, visited Jordon at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
That hospital visit came about a month after Jordon was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma, a high-risk form of cancer. Aubrey said Jordon “was not doing well,” and knowing how much he loves Pittsburgh sports, especially baseball, she reached out to the Pirates in hopes of lifting his spirits. Mitch and Clancy stepped up.
Two years later, the connection has only grown stronger. Jordon’s scans have kept coming back clean, and the Kesslers and Kellers now have a friendship built around more than one visit. Keller said Jordon’s attitude left a mark on him from the start.
“He’s so light-hearted, so happy and in such good spirits, even when he was at his worst,” Keller said. “Two years ago when we met in the hospital, he was struggling.
He was hurting. You could tell he was in pain.
But he still had a good attitude.
“He just loves watching the Pirates. That was very inspiring.
He’s watching us on a nightly basis. We were the ones keeping his spirits up, keeping his mind off his treatment.”
The Pirates and the Kellers invited the family back to PNC Park for what Keller hopes turns into a yearly tradition. Before the game, he played catch with Jordon and Jonah, then spent time talking with them about Mario Party, other Nintendo games and bugs - the kind of conversation that fits Keller, who comes off like a big kid in a 30-year-old’s body.
Aubrey said the impact has gone beyond Jordon.
“We’ve become his biggest fans ever,” she said. “It’s so cute.
Mitch just has that sweet kid spirit. Even Jonah, he’s gone through a lot with his brother.
Mitch makes him light up. It’s really nice.”
Jordon’s road has been long. He was diagnosed at age 7 and went through seven rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants and 15 days of radiation. He also had a full adrenalectomy, removing both adrenal glands atop his kidneys.
You wouldn’t know any of that from the way he carries himself. Jordon had his usual energy and smile as he checked out the Pirates’ bat rack and poked around the dugout for whatever he could find.
“This is kind of amazing,” Jordon said. “Mitch is a really good pitcher. And a pretty great guy.”
The emotion of it all hit the family hard. Aubrey was choked up, and Jordon Sr. said the weight of everything their son has been through recently brought him to tears.
One recent evening, Jordon and Jonah were squabbling at the dinner table like brothers do, and Jordon Sr. found himself overwhelmed by the moment.
“I was like, ‘Man, I’m so lucky that I’m able to have this moment with my kids fighting,’ ” Jordon Sr. said, laughing. “Every day I get to have with my son is a blessing.”
For him, baseball has always been part of the family story. Jordon Sr. grew up a Pirates fan in the early 1990s, listens closely to 93.7 The Fan and says the Kesslers spent many long nights in the hospital with Pirates games helping pass the time.
So when Keller wanted to bring them back again, the gesture meant plenty. The family has been to PNC Park before and stays in touch with Keller regularly, but this visit was another reminder that the relationship is real.
Jordon has one more affirmative scan in September before he can officially be said to be in remission, and with no physical evidence of cancer left, Aubrey said, “He’s come quite far.”
For the Kesslers, Keller’s role has gone far beyond a one-time hospital visit. It has become a genuine friendship, one that they see as a reflection of his humility and compassion.
“We’re huge Pittsburgh sports fans,” Jordon Sr. said. “I remember crying when Sid Bream got thrown out at home plate. Going to Three Rivers … man, it’s just crazy to have it come full circle.
“Of course, I didn’t have any Major League Baseball players who were my friends when I was that age. The fact that [Keller] visited Jordon and continues to care about him and reach out, it’s amazing. He’ll always be our favorite Pirate.”
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