Mariners pitcher George Kirby got disrespected on MLB’s Top 100 players ranking
When you think of the top pitchers in baseball, Mariners SP George Kirby comes to mind. However, MLB 100 had him as the 20th best SP, which is utter disrespect
I understand that lists are made to create conversation and bring contention and arguments up amongst fans. You have to ride that line of being reasonable while still making some bold proclamations. However, with the MLB 100 ranking that just finished up, they've done an utter disrespect to George Kirby.
Before I tell you the number, how many starting pitchers would you say are better than George Kirby heading into 2024? The number can't be all that high, right? He was in the Cy Young conversation last year, was as high as 2nd or 3rd with about a month left in the season, and is widely regarded as not just a great pitcher, but the MOST accurate pitcher in the game.
George Kirby was disrespected by the MLB 100 rankings
Remember, this is supposed to be the best current players in the game. Not going forward for a Dynasty, not based on their career to date. The current best players. Maybe... 12th? Somewhere in that range? It would make sense, right?
There are 19 starting pitchers ranked ahead of George Kirby. That is preposterous. There is not a chance that Kirby is the 20th-ranked SP in all of baseball. There are a lot of good pitchers in baseball, but some of these just don't make sense.
Logan Webb? Sonny Gray? Pablo Lopez? Justin Verlander? Kodai Senga? Kyle Bradish? Tyler Glasnow?
Are you serious?
They are all good pitchers, but Kirby is better. Calling George Kirby the 75th-best player heading into 2024 paired with the #20 SP is a disservice, and really does feel like a West Coast bias. I don't know that Kirby is going to give much attention to the list, but there is a part of being a fan that makes you hope that he does, and uses it to show how wrong they were.
The Mariners have had one of the oddest offseason's of any team in recent memory. There has been a lot of movement, some fun acquisitions, and more trades than you can count on your hands. Oddsmakers like them going into 2024, as do the Cy Young odds for three different members of the Mariners staff. George Kirby could lead the way on that, and this could be some motivation for him along the way to prove the MLB 100 list wrong.