The Seattle Mariners, who were off to a hot start in 2022, have lost eight of their last 10 games and are now the owners of a mediocre 13-16 record.
Once the leaders in the AL West division, they are now third behind the Los Angeles Angels and the Houston Astros.
That’s why they decided to move things around a little, looking for a spark.
And what a gem they found.
Well, they didn’t find him per se: they just determined that George Kirby, a stud pitching prospect in their system, is now ready to be a successful major league starter who can contribute in their quest towards a playoff spot.
Imagine how desperate the M’s were that they had Kirby skip Triple-A altogether.
But the move, at least in his first game as a major leaguer, paid off.
“What a Major League debut for @Mariners rookie George Kirby. 6 IP 4 H 0 R 0 BB 7 K,” MLB Pipeline tweeted.
What a Major League debut for @Mariners rookie George Kirby.
6 IP
4 H
0 R
0 BB
7 K pic.twitter.com/fV2j4NW7SU— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 8, 2022
An Overpowering Fastball
Kirby completely dominated the Tampa Bay Rays, en route to a Mariners victory on Sunday.
The Rays had no answer to Kirby’s overpowering stuff, including his excellent fastball, which generated 13 swings and misses.
His secondary offerings are not yet plus, but they have potential to be eventually, especially his slider.
If that happens, we may be witnessing the Mariners’ new co-ace besides Logan Gilbert.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, and let the kid pitch and learn.
His potential, however, is undeniable: he was posting a 1.82 ERA in Double-A, in 24.2 innings.
He had struck out 32 batters against just five walks.
The Mariners appear to have a gem for the future who also has the potential to solve a lot of issues right now.
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