The Seattle Mariners selected George Kirby, the 20th overall choice in the 2019 amateur draft, out of Elon University, making him the highest drafted player in school history.
In a draft dominated by position players, he was only the 6th pitcher chosen. His final two seasons at Elon were strong, with a 10-3 record and a 2.89 ERA as a sophomore in 2018 and an 8-2 record with a 2.75 ERA as a senior in 2019.
He was picked by the New York Mets in the 32nd round of the 2016 amateur draft, but he chose to attend college instead.
He only tossed 23 innings in 9 games (8 starts) with the Everett AquaSox of the Northwest League in his debut professional season in 2019, since the Mariners did not want to overwork him. He didn’t make a decision and had a 2.35 ERA.
In 2020, he’d get lots of extra rest when the minor leagues were shut down by the Coronavirus outbreak, but he’d be kept on a short leash once more in 2021.
Between Everett, which had been promoted two levels to the High-A West since George’s last appearance there, and the Arkansas Travelers of the Double-A Central, he made 15 starts.
He went 5-3 with a 2.53 ERA in 67 2/3 innings, striking out 80 batters while walking only 15 batters.
In his first five starts of the 2022 season, he was 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA. On May 8th, he was called up to Seattle and started against the Tampa Bay Rays in his major league debut.
He pitched well in his debut start, allowing only four hits and zero runs over six innings while striking out seven batters. When he left, the game was still 0-0, but the Mariners went on to win 2-1 on Abraham Toro’s walk-off home run.
How Old Is George Kirby?
George Kirby was born on February 8, 1998. He is 24 years old.