Player Spotlight: Kirby Yates

For the first edition of the Player Spotlight series, we'll be breaking down Kirby Yates of the San Diego Padres.

Sport: Baseball

Position: Right-handed Closer

Team: San Diego Padres

Previous Teams: Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, New York Yankees 

Birthplace: Omao, Hawaii

High School/College: Kauai High School, Yavapai College  

Age: 33

Accolades: 1x All-Star, 2019 MLB Saves Leader, 2019 All-MLB First Team, 3.40 Career ERA

We aren't talking about Shane Victorino, but Kirby Yates is quite the flyin' Hawaaian. Yates is a proud native of Hawaii, made apparent by his instagram handle @kirbskauai, his fashion sense, and his seemingly cool demeanor off the field. While he may be laid back while not on the diamond, Kirby is a warrior on the mound. His rise to success in the MLB didn't come easy. Yates was a late round selection by the Boston Red Sox in the 2005 Draft, but chose to go to Yavapai College instead. Unfortunately, he would miss the 2006 and 2007 seasons with Tommy John Surgery. As a result, he went undrafted and was teamless before the Tampa Bay Rays gave him a shot. Kirby made the most of the opportunity and by 2013, was a Triple-A All-Star right on the Rays doorstep. When he debuted in 2014, he pitched well to the tune of a 3.75 ERA in 36 frames, but he would experience major decline the following seasons. After a horrendous 2015, the Rays DFA'd Yates and ultimately shipped him to Cleveland for half of a club sandwich. Before making an appearance for the Tribe, the Indians DFA'd Yates and sent him to the Bronx for the other half of the club sandwich. Kirby bounced back and forth from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and New York in 2016, finishing the season with a 5.23 ERA through 41 ⅓ MLB innings. His poor showing had Yates put on waivers and subsequently claimed by the Angels. His stint in Anaheim was almost as short as his previous stay in Cleveland, Yates made one single MLB appearance before being placed back on waivers. It looked like Kirby's career was on life-support, but then the Padres gave him the medicine he needed, a fresh start in America's Finest City. From day one in San Diego, Yates was a great reliever. He had a solid 3.72 ERA in 55 ⅔ IP in his first season as a Friar and continued to get better and better, posting a 2.14 ERA in 63 IP in 2018 as he transitioned to the closer role, and then taking the league by storm with a mind-boggling 1.19 ERA and 41 saves in 60 ⅔ IP this past season. Yates' improvement seems like wizardry, but his rise to stardom can be primarily attested to his splitter. Yates fell in love with Masahiro Tanaka's splitter grip during his stint in New York, but only toyed with it until after the 2016 season. After his rough season in the Yankees organization, Kirby made the tough decision to work out in Arizona instead of returning to Hawaii in the offseason, going all in in his pursuit of greatness. With an incredible amount of hard work and the help of his former teammate Alex Cobb, the splitter was ready to help reinvent Kirby, and well, the rest is history. Kirby Yates is now regarded as a top closer in baseball and his splitter may be the most devastating out pitches in all of baseball. Kirby's story is one of grit and determination, he refuses to settle for so-so and won't take no for an answer. The odds have been  stacked so heavily against him and Yates just fights and fights and won't stop fighting until his tank runs empty. The passion and character Kirby Yates possesses just cannot be taught and is sought after by every single MLB team. I really hope Kirby can stay a Padre for life and help mentor future Friars with his on-field intelligence and fire as well as his off the field demeanor and morals. Kirby Yates- half mahalo, half monster. 

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! What are your thoughts on Kirby Yates? Who would you like to see in the spotlight next? Let me know in the comments down below!