Kirby Yates Stats
- Height / Weight
- 5' 10" / 205 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 3/25/1987 (37)
- Experience
- 9
- College
- Yavapai JC (AZ)
Kirby Yates Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Kirby Yates News
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Kirby Yates closed out the Detroit Tigers on Thursday in a 9-7 win. Yates got the final four outs of this one, allowing just a hit while striking out one. It was the 37-year-old's second save of the season, with his first coming on Monday. He has been used as Texas' highest-leverage pitcher for the past few weeks and is likely to continue in that role, which will presumably give him the best chance at saves in the Rangers bullpen. He should be added in any leagues where saves matter.
Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that the team will still keep things open in the closer role, but with the way right-hander Kirby Yates is throwing the ball right now, "we kind of like where it's at." In the 1-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday, Yates tossed a perfect inning with no hits allowed, no walks and no strikeouts to pick up his first save of the season. The 37-year-old veteran hasn't allowed a run yet in 2024 in six relief appearances while walking one and striking out five in six innings of work. Meanwhile, Jose Leclerc has surrendered eight earned runs on seven hits (one homer) while walking seven and fanning six in six innings. Nothing is official yet, but fantasy managers that are chasing saves should run to the waiver wire to pick up Yates right away.
Free-agent relief pitcher Kirby Yates agreed with the Texas Rangers on an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday, pending a physical, according to a source. The Rangers had a clear plan to upgrade their bullpen this offseason after winning the first World Series title in franchise history this past season. Yates became a free agent this winter when the Atlanta Braves declined his $5.75 million option for 2024. The 36-year-old veteran right-hander was strong for Atlanta and had a 3.28 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 60 1/3 relief innings in 2023. Texas is an excellent landing spot for Yates now that he's completely back from Tommy John surgery, and he could be a late-round target for saves and potentially even holds in his new home in the back end of Texas' bullpen.
Batting Order
1 | Marcus Semien |
2 | Corey Seager |
3 | Nathaniel Lowe |
4 | Adolis García |
5 | Jonah Heim |
6 | Wyatt Langford |
7 | Davis Wendzel |
8 | Andrew Knizner |
9 | Leody Taveras |
Kirby Yates Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
1 | Marcus Semien |
2 | Corey Seager |
3 | Nathaniel Lowe |
4 | Adolis García |
5 | Jonah Heim |
6 | Wyatt Langford |
7 | Davis Wendzel |
8 | Andrew Knizner |
9 | Leody Taveras |
Relief pitcher Kirby Yates and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed on a contract that should slot the former Padre into the closer role for a team that needed bullpen help. Toronto saw six different players record a save last season with saves leader, Anthony Bass, leaving in free agency. Enter Yates, who was one of the most dominant relievers in the game before missing most of 2020. The right-hander allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings last season before undergoing surgery to remove bone chips in his pitching elbow. Based on his six to eight-week recovery estimate, Yates should be ready to roll in Spring Training. Before last year, Yates was among the game's elite bullpen arms. He led the Majors with 41 saves in 2019 while boasting a sterling 1.19 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings. A look under the hood validates the numbers that earned Yates Cy Young Award votes. His 1.30 FIP was over half a run better than any other pitcher with at least 50 innings. He struck out 41.7 percent of batters and induced swinging strikes at an elite 15.6 percent rate. Yates has a career 34.9 K% making him one of the elite relievers in the game when healthy. Draft Yates with confidence as an RP1 at a discount from where he was drafted last season.