Kirby Yates Stats
- Height / Weight
- 5' 10" / 205 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 3/25/1987 (36)
- Experience
- 6
- College
- Yavapai JC (AZ)
Kirby Yates Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Kirby Yates News
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.
Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Kirby Yates earned his first save of the season in Monday's 4-1 win over the Twins. Yates came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first out on a fly-out, allowed a single, but then got back-to-back strikeouts to end the game. Raisel Iglesias had pitched in each of the last two days, so the veteran got the call to close the game. The 36-year-old has pitched pretty well this season with a 3.00 ERA, 12.30 K/9 rate, and 5.10 BB/9 rate in 30 innings. However, his fantasy value will remain very limited as long as Iglesias continues to convert save opportunities.
Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Kirby Yates picked up his first win of the 2023 season in the team's 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Yates pitched a scoreless and hitless eighth inning while walking one and striking out one to pick up the victory. Left-hander A.J. Minter followed with his second save of the young season for Atlanta. The 36-year-old Yates has only thrown 11 1/3 innings in the last three years due to injuries, so it's nice to see him get rewarded with his first relief win since 2018. He'll be a volatile option in deep holds leagues, though, and he's allowed three runs on three hits (one homer allowed) while walking six and striking out four in 4 2/3 innings over his first five appearances in 2023.
Batting Order
| 1 | Marcus Semien |
| 2 | Corey Seager |
| 3 | Evan Carter |
| 4 | Mitch Garver |
| 5 | Josh Jung |
| 6 | Nathaniel Lowe |
| 7 | Jonah Heim |
| 8 | Leody Taveras |
| 9 | Travis Jankowski |
Kirby Yates Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
| 1 | Marcus Semien |
| 2 | Corey Seager |
| 3 | Evan Carter |
| 4 | Mitch Garver |
| 5 | Josh Jung |
| 6 | Nathaniel Lowe |
| 7 | Jonah Heim |
| 8 | Leody Taveras |
| 9 | Travis Jankowski |
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.
