In a recent article by Bleacher Report, Former Elon baseball pitcher, George Kirby, was ranked as the seventh best rookie for the season. Kirby was drafted back in 2019 in the first round to the Seattle Mariners, making his major league debut May 8. Bleacher Report said he is a building block for the Mariners' long-term plan.
During Kirby’s time at Elon, he earned many awards including CAA pitcher of the year in 2019 and was on the All-American third team. During his final season in 14 starts, he put up an 8-2 record with a 2.75 earned run average.
In Kirby’s impressive rookie season he started 25 games, went 8-5 with a 3.39 earned run average and had 133 strikeouts. He was able to help the Mariners make it to the playoffs this season, although the Houston Astros swept them in the American League Divisional Series.