History of George Kirby (baseball) in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 29, 2025

George Kirby is a professional baseball pitcher currently playing for the Seattle Mariners in MLB. He is American and began his Major League Baseball career in 2022.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1988: Start of Pitch Tracking

In 1988, pitch tracking began in MLB. On August 24, 2022, George Kirby set an MLB record by throwing 24 consecutive strikes to start a game, the most by a major league pitcher since at least 1988, when pitch tracking began.

February 4, 1998: George Kirby's Birth

On February 4, 1998, George Joseph Kirby was born. He is now a professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners.

1999: B.J. Surhoff in All-Star Game

In 2023, George Kirby became the second Rye High School graduate to play in the All-Star Game, following B.J. Surhoff in 1999.

2008: Attended Final Game at Shea Stadium

In 2008, George Kirby attended the final Mets game at Shea Stadium.

2014: High School Championship Win

In 2014, as a sophomore baseball player at Rye High School, George Kirby threw 153 pitches in the NYSPHSAA Section 1 Class A championship game to beat Lakeland High School. Elon University also began recruiting him to play college baseball that year.

2015: All-State First Team Selection

In 2015, after his junior season, George Kirby was named to the New York State Sportswriters Association's All-State first team for Class A as a pitcher and first baseman and The Journal News Westchester/Putnam All-Star First Team, alongside Josiah Gray.

2016: High School Success and MLB Draft

In 2016, as a senior, George Kirby went 6–0 with a 0.32 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 43+1⁄3 innings and was again named to the All-State first team. He did not lose a game his final three years of high school. Although expected to be an early pick in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, he fell to the New York Mets in the 32nd round because of signability concerns. He chose not to sign with the Mets and instead attended Elon University.

2017: Freshman Year at Elon

In 2017, as a freshman at Elon, George Kirby appeared in 16 games (five starts) and had a 1–3 record with a 4.84 ERA, striking out 55 batters in 61+ 1⁄3 innings. He was named to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) All-Rookie team.

2018: Last Save in Cape Cod League

In 2018, George Kirby last earned a save while pitching in the Cape Cod League. On October 8, 2022, he earned his first save since then in the Mariners' Wild Card Series game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

2018: Joe Musgrove's Record

In 2018, Joe Musgrove set a record by throwing 21 consecutive strikes in a start. On August 24, 2022, George Kirby set a new MLB record by throwing 24 consecutive strikes to start a game, breaking the previous record set by Joe Musgrove in 2018.

2018: Sophomore Success at Elon

In 2018, as a sophomore, George Kirby started 15 games, going 10–3 with a 2.89 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 90+ 1⁄3 innings. He earned a spot on the All-CAA second team. He also played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Harwich Mariners, posting a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings.

2019: Drafted by Seattle Mariners

In 2019, George Kirby was drafted by the Seattle Mariners with the 20th overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft. He signed with Seattle for $3.24 million. He debuted professionally that summer with the Everett AquaSox of the Class A Short Season Northwest League, where he had a 2.35 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 23 innings.

2019: CAA Pitcher of the Year

Prior to the 2019 season, George Kirby was named a preseason All-American by Baseball America and Perfect Game. He was named the 2019 CAA Pitcher of the Year after going 8–2 with a 2.75 ERA in 14 starts, striking out 107 batters and walking only six in 88+1⁄3 innings.

2020: Alternate Training Site

In 2020, George Kirby spent the season, which was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at the Mariners' alternate training site in Tacoma. He was named a Top 100 prospect by MLB at the end of the season.

2021: Promotion to Double-A

In 2021, George Kirby returned to Everett, now in High-A West, and was later promoted to the Double-A Arkansas Travelers in August. He compiled a 5–3 record and 2.53 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 67+2⁄3 innings across 15 starts between the two clubs.

May 8, 2022: MLB Debut

On May 8, 2022, George Kirby's contract was selected by the Mariners, and he was promoted to the major leagues. On the same day, he made his MLB debut, starting against the Tampa Bay Rays, throwing six scoreless innings and striking out seven batters. His mother was present to see him pitch.

2022: Rookie Season and Consecutive Strike Record

During the 2022 season, George Kirby set an MLB record on August 24 by throwing 24 consecutive strikes to start a game against the Washington Nationals, the most since pitch tracking began in 1988. He was named the American League Rookie of the Month for August and finished 6th in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. He ended his rookie season in 2022 with an 8–5 record and 3.39 ERA, striking out 133 while walking 22 in 130 innings.

2022: Top Prospect Ranking

Entering 2022, George Kirby was ranked as a top 40 prospect by MLB, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus. He started the season back in Arkansas, where he was 2–0, with a 1.82 ERA in five starts.

2022: MLB Debut

In 2022, George Kirby made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Seattle Mariners.

2023: Strikeouts Per Walk Ratio

In 2023, George Kirby led the majors by recording 9.05 strikeouts per walk. In 2024, he again led the majors by recording 7.78 strikeouts per walk and walking only 3 percent of batters, both of which were slightly worse than his rates in 2023.

2023: Career Highs and Knuckleball Debut

In 2023, George Kirby struck out a career-best 12 batters on April 27, pitching seven scoreless innings in a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He threw a knuckleball on the first pitch of his July 31 start at Fenway Park, his first time pitching in Boston since Wakefield's death. Kirby suffered one of the worst starts of his career on August 13, allowing 11 runs, only six of them earned, while recording 11 outs in a loss to the Detroit Tigers.

2023: 2023 Season Stats

In 2023, George Kirby was 13-10 with a 3.35 ERA across 31 starts and 190+2⁄3 innings. He struck out 172 batters, while walking just 19 batters. He led the majors with a 9.05 strikeout-to-walk ratio and walked only 2.5 percent of batters he faced. He finished 8th in Cy Young Award voting.

2023: All-Star Game Selection

In his first 14 starts of 2023, George Kirby had 75 strikeouts and six walks in 87+2⁄3 innings, leading MLB with a 12.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He was named to his first All-Star Game as a replacement for Shane McClanahan. Pitching in Seattle, he recorded a blown save after allowing a run in the fourth inning.

2024: Career Highs and League Lead

In 2024, George Kirby posted several career highs, including 14 wins, 11 losses, 179 strikeouts, and 33 starts. He led the American League by giving up 181 hits. He recorded one more out than in 2023, pitching 191 innings. He again led the majors by recording 7.78 strikeouts per walk and walking only 3 percent of batters, both of which were slightly worse than his rates in 2023.