5/31/14

2015 Draft Profile - LHP - Nathan Kirby - University of Virginia



5-20-14  -  Nathan Kirby, LHP, Virginia - Obviously, this would make me very happy. Taking the bias out for a fellow Kirby, however, he has some of the best stuff in his class, and his upside as a power arm from the left side makes him a legitimate candidate for 1.1. The 6’-3”, 190 pound southpaw has a plus curveball, a fastball that sits in the low/mid 90s with late life and movement, as well as a change-up that is rapidly getting better. He has great command of his stuff and can be unhittable at times, as evidenced by his April 4 outing against Pittsburgh in which he struck out 18 in a no-hitter. After posting a 6.06 ERA, 1.72 WHIP and 37 K/13 BB over 32.2 innings as a freshman, Kirby dominated the New England Collegiate Baseball League, striking out 81 over 54 innings with a 2.32 ERA. Through 13 starts this season, he is 8-1 with a 1.58 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 91 K/20 BB over 85.1 innings. He is holding opponents to a .180 BAA and has allowed just eight extra-base hits. Kirby was also named to the 2014 Collegiate National Team. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2015-mlb-draft-25-players/42946#KfGGhgC2ZcQbdBfh.99


4-5-14  -  On Friday night, lefty Nathan Kirby of the University of Virginia (no. 3 in the lastest Baseball America rankings) not only twirled a no-hitter against Pitt but also struck out 18 of the 29 batters he faced. Those 18 strikeouts are one shy of the ACC record. The Cavaliers won the game 4-0. Kirby's lone blemishes were a walk and a reached-on-error. His ERA on the season now stands at 1.03, which, you'll note, is good. If the following quote from Kirby is any guide, then he enjoyed a few called strikes on the night (source: VirginiaSports.com): "It was one of those nights where the umpire and I were on the same page."
 http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24514539/u-of-virginias-nathan-kirby-no-hits-pitt-strikes-out-18

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