Kirby struck out a season-high 11 over seven innings of one-run ball against Eugene on Saturday for High-A Everett. He now has a 2.56 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 50:8 K:BB across 38.2 innings spanning eight starts.
High-A hasn't proven to be much of a challenge for Kirby, a 2019 first-round pick whose development was slowed somewhat by last year's canceled minor-league season. The one knock on him coming into this year was that we didn't have a lot of data from game action, so it's great to see him on the field and dominating, even if he's a little on the older side for the level as a 23-year-old. The Mariners are sure to be cautious with him, as he doesn't have a whole lot of pro innings under his belt, but Kirby absolutely looks ready for a promotion to Double-A.