Biography

BIOGRAPHY

George Kirby was born February 4, 1998, in Rye, New York. He is a pitcher in the MLB.

Considered to be one of the top prospects for the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, Kirby was drafted by the Seattle Mariners with the 20th overall pick. He signed with Seattle for $3.24 million. After signing, he was assigned to the Everett AquaSox of the Class A Short Season Northwest League, with whom he spent all of the 2019 season. Over nine games (eight starts), Kirby compiled a 2.35 ERA, striking out 25 over 23 innings. Kirby did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To begin 2021, he returned to Everett, now members of the High-A West. In August, he was promoted to the Arkansas Travelers of the Double-A Central. Over 15 starts between the two clubs, Kirby compiled a 5–3 record and 2.53 ERA, striking out eighty batters over 67+2⁄3 innings. Kirby returned to Arkansas to open the 2022 season.

On May 8, 2022, the Mariners selected Kirby's contract and promoted him to the major leagues. He made his MLB debut that day as the starting pitcher versus the Tampa Bay Rays, and threw six scoreless innings in which he struck out seven batters.

On August 24, 2022, while pitching against the Washington Nationals, Kirby set an MLB record by throwing 24 consecutive strikes to start the game, the most by a major league pitcher since 1988. The previous record was set by Joe Musgrove in 2018 with 21 consecutive strikes.