Top Mariners Prospect George Kirby Set to Make First Career Start

In desperate need of a spark, the 12-16 Seattle Mariners have called up top pitching prospect George Kirby to start in Sunday’s series finale vs the Tampa Bay Rays. Kirby will take the spot in the Mariners rotation formerly held by Matt Brash, who has been sent down to the Minors and will now transition to the bullpen.

George Kirby, the Seattle Mariners’ first round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Elon University, is a 6’4″, 215 lb. strike-throwing machine. He’s torn through the Minors by not only throwing his 97-100mph fastball for consistent strikes, but by commanding the pitch on the corners of the strike zone. Kirby also features a wicked slider, and his changeup has emerged as potentially the most dangerous pitch in his arsenal.

Second-year Mariners pitcher Logan Gilbert and his recently MLB-leading ERA has been a top story coming out of Seattle this year; however, George Kirby has frequently been identified as an even better prospect than Gilbert. For fans who have patiently awaited the arrival of the next group of Mariners core players, Kirby’s call-up is extremely exciting news.

Fortunately for Kirby, he has a bevy of mentorship readily available for him as he arrives in Seattle: a legitimate Cy Young talent in Robbie Ray, a successful command-oriented starter in Marco Gonzales, an inspiring comeback story in Chris Flexen, and, of course, a star pitcher in Logan Gilbert who was in Kirby’s shoes no more than a year ago.

As Seattle aims to end its six-game slump while getting a glimpse at a potential top-of-the-rotation arm in George Kirby, Sunday’s matchup with the Rays will be must-see TV.