George Kirby on being part of Mariners rotation beside Luis Castillo and others, need of robot umps and playing with Julio Rodriguez (Exclusive)

Considered one of the more balanced teams in baseball heading into this season, the Seattle Mariners began 2024 slowly.

At one point in early April, they lost eight of 11 and were in danger of digging a hole in the AL West standings. Their roster is simply too talented, however. The Mariners won nine of 11 in mid-to-late April, eight of nine to close out May and enter June, and have been atop the division for several weeks.

Unsurprisingly, the Mariners have been led by a rotation that may be the deepest in baseball. It is fifth in the AL in ERA and second in strikeouts, and that’s without right-hander George Kirby being as dominant as he was last season, when he ended with 13 wins, a career-best 3.35 ERA and an eighth-place finish in AL Cy Young voting.

George Kirby Interview (Exclusive)

Kirby, 26, took some time out recently to discuss the Mariners’ formidable rotation – offering a brief scouting report on each starter, including himself – as well as some of the issues facing starting pitching today.

Editor’s note: The following has been edited and condensed.

It’s been argued that, from top to bottom, the Mariners have the best rotation in the AL. Do you believe that, and what is it like to be part of this group?

I definitely believe that. I think we do things really great, and differently. It's a great, competitive environment to be in. We all push each other to get better, but at the same time, we're all trying to one up each other each week. It's cool that we all kind of want to learn from each other, too.

How much do you guys do that, talk with each other and feed off each other?

All throughout the week. Whether it's pitch grips or approaches, something the guy saw the night before or how some guys were swinging. We’re always trying to bounce stuff off each other.

Ok, let’s have a little fun. Give me a scouting report on your four rotation mates as pitchers and guys. Let’s start with the ace, Luis Castillo. What’s his game, his demeanor?

Good fastball. He’s got two fastballs, low slot. A slider that blends in with the heater and a nasty changeup when he when he's throwing it. So, three, four weapons that’s hard to plan against. And he’s a competitor. I think we’ve all got that same kind of juice in us, and Luis is just fun to watch.

What about Logan Gilbert?

Sandwich (Gilbert’s nickname). He’s a big presence out there. Good heater. Really good pitch mix using his cutter off the heater and kind of blending those in with the slider, too. He’s got a lot of weapons that can beat you and it’s kind of hard to guess on anything. If you're trying to guess on something, you’re gonna be late on a 98-mph heater.

What have you seen from Bryce Miller this last year in the big leagues?

Big Bryce. He has a pretty good split (fingered fastball). Besides Logan, we all have got two heaters. So, Bryce attacks with a four-seam, two-seam, slider, sweeper and his split. I think with everyone here, we’ve all got a really good arsenal, and we all command it well. So, I think it's hard to gameplan against any of us.

Brian Woo might be the least heralded in the rotation, but he’s been great since returning from injury. What about him?

Woo is a low-slot guy. He has two heaters as well and commands the ball really well. He bounces those heaters off each other and has good off-speed stuff to go with them. So, with him, you’ve just got to hope you’re guessing the right pitch at the right time.

OK, how about the George Kirby scouting report? We know about your intensity, about the mound fire that rages from you on game days. Are those accurate characterizations?

I was always taught at Elon (University), by my coaches in college, ‘Be a savage on the mound.’ And that's kind of what I like to do: pitch angry; controlled aggression. As for pitching arsenal, same with me as the other guys. I’ve got two heaters. Good off-speed, so hard to plan against.

Don’t forget the knuckleball, right (he threw one knuckleball in a game last year as a tribute to Tim Wakefield, the Boston Red Sox great whom Kirby cheered for as a kid)?

Yeah, that's always in the back pocket (he laughs). I’ll probably (throw it again). So, when they are game planning, they’ve gotta keep that in the back of their heads (laughs).

Switching gears, one of the biggest stories in the game is the alarming increase in elbow-ligament surgeries for pitchers. What’s your take on what may be causing the increase and what precautions can be taken to prevent the issue?

Anyone can get hurt at any time. But you’ve just got to stay diligent during the week. Get your recovery in and your arm-care in, all that stuff, and don't do too much. Yeah, certain pitches could (cause problems). I think the pitch clock has something to do with it. too. I think guys are throwing hard, and they're all throwing really hard breaking balls. So that's definitely part of it. You’ve just got to keep up your arm strength and get to your recovery and you should be fine.

Is there more concern for you, personally, than before because of so many injuries in the game?

No. I've been keeping up with my arm stuff, and always have been, so that doesn’t really bother me. But it does suck to see a lot of these good pitchers getting hurt and I’m just hoping for a quick recovery for a lot of them. It’s just that everyone's throwing hard now and it's a lot of stress on your arm, so you’ve just got to prepare yourself.

Is there anything that could be implemented, rule-wise, that might help?

Maybe having the same baseball (the way it is prepared) for every start. That could help. But I think it’s really about learning about your body, how it moves efficiently, and then doing the things that work best for you.

You had mentioned the pitch clock earlier. Would you get rid of it or alter it?

I would just bring it back to what it was last year. There was no point making it even quicker. The game’s already fast enough now. For me personally, it doesn't really bother me because I'm pretty quick out there. But there are some situations, like if you shake something off or if you catch the ball and you get back on the mound a little late, it's kind of hard because then you’ve got two seconds and you have to let (the catcher) call it. That can be a little tough at times. So, it doesn’t really affect me, but I do think it’s quick for no reason.

Do you think the current clock could be a contributor to the increase in arm injuries?

Oh yeah. Totally. Guys are getting on the mound a lot quicker and throwing each pitch quicker and there's not really a lot of time for rest. So, you’ve got to take advantage of asking for a new ball, when maybe you don't need one, just to get a little breather. Stuff like that. So, yeah, I think that's definitely a reason why.

What’s your take on implementing an automated strike zone and the possibility of “Robo Umps” calling balls and strikes?

Seeing some of the stuff in Triple A is kind of intriguing, but at the end of the day, I think you need that human back there. They're gonna make errors and that's part of the game. Having the Robo Umpire might cause more issues. Having that human aspect behind the plate is what baseball needs and not a Robo Umpire.

What does intrigue you about some of the ball-strike experiments in the minors?

Well, if you’ve got a 3-2 pitch in a good spot and it gets called a ball and you know it’s a strike, well, instead of arguing with the umpire you can be like, ‘All right, let me do something about that’ and challenge. In certain situations, it would be nice to be like, ‘I know that was a strike,’ and challenge, but that’s part of the game. People make mistakes.

If there were challenges, how many do you think would be sufficient per start?

Probably two or three. There are some that I definitely think were strikes, but it’s been 50-50. I’ll go back sometimes and look, and if it’s not a strike, well, whatever, that’s OK.

You’ve had the chance to play with Julio Rodriguez for three seasons now. I know he struggled some early, but what do you see that makes him special?

One thing with Julio, I know he's not doing as well as he'd like to, but he always has a smile on his face and he's always happy to be here and always happy when the team wins. And to have him out there in center field on a daily basis is huge for us pitchers, just the plays he makes out there. And, once he gets the bat going, he's a game changer every time he steps to the plate.