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The Seattle Mariners are calling up the best pitching prospect in their system and one of the best in all of baseball. RHP George Kirby is being promoted to the Major Leagues, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The Seattle Mariners are calling up right-hander George Kirby, one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, sources tell ESPN. Kirby, 24, is a former first-rounder who dominated at AA this season. Huge stuff, huge ceiling and the Mariners, who are slumping, could use a boost.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 7, 2022
MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo adds that Kirby is expected to make his MLB debut on Sunday versus the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Mariners’ first-round pick in the 2019 Draft, Kirby has posted a 2.34 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP through 115.1 innings in the Minors. He has struck out 137 batters during that time. He has been dominant at Double-A Arkansas this year, racking up 32 K’s and only five walks across 24.2 innings. Batters are hitting just .195 against Kirby, and he has a 1.82 ERA.
The 24-year-old Kirby is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Mariners’ best pitching prospect (No. 3 overall) and as the No. 30 prospect in baseball. He possesses a fastball that sits in the high 90s along with a plus curveball and a plus slider, all of which he can control pretty well.
The Mariners (12-15) have dropped five games in a row and nine of their past 10 after starting the season 11-6. They will look to this high-upside righty to give them a boost.