Seattle Mariners Starting Pitcher George Kirby had a start for the ages this afternoon at home against the Los Angeles Angels. He surrendered 2 earned runs over 7 innings of work. He added a career-high 14 strikeouts. It was the third-most strikeouts with no walks in team history.
Kirby also made some history in his career this afternoon. He notched his 500th career strikeout. He has 68 walks in 93 career games started. The only other MLB player in the modern era to have 500+ strikeouts and fewer than 70 walks in any span of 93 starts is Greg Maddux. It has been a difficult regular season for Kirby. He did not make his season debut until May 22 because of a shoulder injury. He is 1-3 with a 6.53 ERA. Will Sunday’s start help the pitcher get on track?
George Kirby Career Summary
George Kirby was dealing today 😤
His 14 strikeouts are a career-high and the most by a @Mariners pitcher since James Paxton struck out 16 on May 2, 2018. pic.twitter.com/enJpQ4ENYv
— MLB (@MLB) June 8, 2025
Kirby debuted with the Seattle Mariners in 2022. He finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. He followed it up with his lone All-Star Game appearance and finished eighth in Cy Young voting in 2023. Over the past two seasons, he has struggled to regain his form. On a positive note, he led the league in SO/BB ratio in 2024.
Final Thoughts
Kirby’s next scheduled start is on June 14 at home against the Cleveland Guardians. If he can continue pitching like he did on Sunday, Seattle can make a playoff push as the regular season marches on.
