George Kirby 2024 Player Outlook: Quality-Start Machine Looks To Break Into Top-Level Status
3 months agoA former first-round pick and top prospect in the Seattle Mariners farm system, starting pitcher George Kirby established himself as a model of consistency during his first full season in 2023. Kirby logged 20 quality starts out of his 31 appearances for the Mariners last year, with his microscopic 0.9 walks per nine innings leading the way in the major leagues. Overall, the 25-year-old right-hander finished with a rock-solid 3.35 ERA (3.34 FIP), 1.04 WHIP, and 172:19 K:BB across 190 2/3 innings. Kirby's command of his six-pitch arsenal is his calling card, resulting in plenty of chase, but his lack of overwhelming stuff won't lead to a high rate of whiffs and can occasionally get him hit hard. That caveat could keep him out of the top-tier range of SPs, but throwing from MLB's most pitcher-friendly ballpark in Seattle should continue to work wonders for Kirby and an M's pitching staff that ranked first in the AL in team ERA (3.74) a year ago. The first-time All-Star's ability to provide length should bode well for his chances of supplying fantasy rosters with wins and compensating for a subpar 22.7% strikeout rate, collecting 13 victories a year ago. Treat Kirby as a top-50 pick and a top-10 positional option in the fourth- or fifth-round of drafts for 2024, especially in head-to-head leagues for his dependability.