Mariners’ George Kirby is still fast, less furious

Q: What changes has George Kirby made to his pitching style in 2026?

In 2026, George Kirby has shifted his focus to generating more ground balls and maintaining mental composure on the mound, leading to improved performance.

Q: How does George Kirby's ground ball rate compare to other MLB pitchers?

Kirby has a ground ball rate of 57.6%, ranking fourth in MLB and second in the American League, behind Jack Kochanowicz.

Q: What is George Kirby's current innings pitched in the MLB season?

As of his last start, George Kirby has pitched 52 innings, placing him second in MLB for innings pitched this season.

Q: Who has helped George Kirby with his mental approach on the mound?

Kirby has worked extensively with Mariners mental skills coach Adam Bernero to improve his focus and emotional control during games.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 01: George Kirby #68 of the Seattle Mariners reacts during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at T-Mobile Park on April 01, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images For much of his Mariner tenure, George Kirby has carried the moniker “Furious George,” a tongue-in-cheek nod to his angry mound persona (his other nickname is “Angry Cheddar”, bestowed by Bryce Miller) and a play on the classic children’s book series about a curious monkey. But the 2026 version of George Kirby is a different animal altogether. “I want to be a workhorse,” said Kirby after last night’s start, where he turned in seven strong innings against a red-hot Atlanta lineup, giving up just two runs on some bad-luck hits, including a fluky double that rolled down the right-field line at 71 mph off the bat of Mauricio Dubón. So far, Kirby has been as good as his word: Kirby hit 52 innings pitched last night, good for second in all of MLB behind Yankees ace Max Fried. The three MLB pitchers to have eclipsed 50 innings so far this season are Fried, Kirby, and Miami’s . Those three pitchers also have something else in common: elite ground ball rates. Both Fried and Alcantara ranked within the top 20 in baseball last year in ground ball rates. Kirby, however, is a newer member of this club. After last night’s start against the Braves, Kirby’s groundball rate is up to 57.6% – fourth-highest in baseball, and second in the AL behind Anaheim’s . Last season, maybe in an attempt to chase some more strikeouts and limit hard contact, Kirby dialed down his four-seamer, which he’d gradually been backing off of – he went from throwing it 45% of the time in his debut season to a low of 29% in 2025. In its place, he used his sweeper more heavily, a pitch he threw under 10% of the time in 2022 but compromised 28% of his arsenal by 2025. That tweak had the effect of creating more whiffs for Kirby, but also cost him some of his elite command – pushing him towards a nearly pedestrian walk rate of 5.5%. But the bigger knock-on effect was it cost him some of his efficiency; even accounting for the injury that held him out for part of the season, Kirby only completed seven innings three times, compared to six in 2024 and 11 in 2023. Kirby says he hasn’t made any tweaks to his arsenal and he’s not exactly sure where all the ground balls are coming from, but he was able to hazard a guess. “I think that’s just kind of what happens when you try and get strike one,” he said. “You’re in the zone a lot throwing quality strikes. So, the more ground balls, the better. Helps me go deeper in games and eventually get the swing and miss when I need it…As a starter, I want to go as deep in the game as possible and give my team the best chance to win. So if it’s ground balls, great, strikeouts, awesome. If it’s a little bit of both, even better.” “I’ve always felt like contact can be your friend sometimes,” said manager Dan Wilson. “I think [Kirby] understands…ground ball outs are just as important.” Maybe the biggest change for Kirby has been mentally. He’s spoken extensively this year about shifting his perspective about having runners on base, trying to let go when a fluky base hit happens (like the Dubón double last night) and refocus on the task at hand, not getting too wrapped up in the results of a prior pitch, especially one he felt he executed well but got poor results on. “That stuff just doesn’t matter anymore, in the moment. I’m doing a better job of bringing my awareness back to the batter and forgetting about what just happened…I’m trying to just stay in control as much as possible in those moments and try to be the best I can. Not do too much, just go out there and attack and things usually work out.” It’s something he’s worked on extensively with Mariners mental skills coach Adam Bernero, who has helped Kirby understand how to channel the emotion he feels on the mound in more productive ways and learn to let go of emotions that don’t serve him. Anger can be a motivating force; it can also, in excess, be toxic. “Maybe, as a reliever, you can go full caveman,” said Bernero. “As a starter, that’s hard. You have to pick your spots.” “Emotion can be a funny thing,” said Dan Wilson. “Emotion can be a great motivator, but when you let the emotion last too long, it can become a negative drag.” “Sometimes you need a little bit of extra something, emotion, to kind of get you going. But for the most part I think George has done a really nice job of staying focused, staying right where he needs to be. And that’s bee na huge step forward for him, and one that’s really paid dividends for him in helping him get deeper…And I think he’s done a great job of it and has been able to move on from things. We’ve seen it in different situations, whether it was reversed calls or reversed challenges, whatever happened. He’s able to bounce back and keep going. And I think that shows real maturity.” Crowds tend to get hyped up around strikeouts; it’s a little harder to get them humming about a routine 4-3 putout. Efficiency is not sexy to the average baseball fan. But it’s something Kirby is learning to embrace. “I think that’s what you should want to go do when you get out there, just go as long as you can,” he said. “I think that’s what matters the most. Like, the strikeouts are cool, the crowd – whatever. But the longer you stay out there, you’re doing your job. You’re doing your job for the bullpen, for the guys behind you. So that’s my focus.” So in taking this more long-term view, has he let go of some of the persona of “furious George”? “Oh no, it’s still in there,” he said after his last home outing against . “I walked two guys today, I’m not very happy about it. But I’m using it in a different way. Use the anger as a weapon instead of something that would hold me back the last couple years. Use it more as fuel. It’s been feeling a lot better. You just gather your breath, just take a couple fast, quick exhales, get yourself going, get your body right for the moment you’re in. The more I can use anger to my favor, the better.” It’s hard to stay furious for long. Anger is literally exhausting: it spikes adrenaline and cortisol levels and stresses your cardiovascular system. While one can manage its spikes, it’s not a sustainable emotion for the hours it takes to pitch deep into a baseball game. Furious George will still make an occasional appearance, but he’s being replaced by Steady Hand George, the workhorse. “He was very efficient yesterday,” said manager Dan Wilson. “Workhorses find a way to be efficient and find a way to get deep into the game, and that’s what George did yesterday.”