HILLSBORO, Ore. — Four or five innings. That’s what it typically took for George Kirby to feel like he was really settling into a nice groove this spring. Everything before that was just a tease.



While pitching at Elon University, Seattle’s 2019 first-round pick, routinely blew past the 100-pitch mark without a second thought. The longer Kirby pitched, generally, the better he was.



“My arm would start feeling good in the fourth or fifth inning,” Kirby said. “I would have some velocity leading up to that, but in the fourth or fifth inning … that’s is when you really start to get a feel for your pitches.”



Move forward a few months and Kirby, now pitching for short-season Everett of the Northwest League, came into a game on Friday against Spokane, striking out three batters in a tidy 17-pitch inning. Even on a warm night, Kirby was barely sweating. But almost as soon as his night began, it was over, which is...