SEATTLE, Wash. -- Seattle Mariners Director of Amateur Scouting Scott Hunter announced today that the Mariners have signed their top-two picks from the 2019 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft, 1st round selection George Kirby and 2nd round selection Brandon Williamson.

The Mariners have now signed 23 of their 41 picks from the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The 23 signings include 6 of the top 11 selections and 14 of the top 21.

Kirby, 21, recently completed his junior season at Elon University, going 8-2 with a 2.75 ERA (27 ER, 88.1 IP) in 14 starts. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound starter, limited opponents to a .221 (73x331) average while issuing only 6 walks and striking out 107 in 88.1 innings. Kirby was named Colonial Athletic Association 2019 Pitcher of the Year, after leading all Division I pitchers with a 17.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio and fewest walks per 9.0 innings (.611). He also ranked among Division I leaders in WHIP (11th, 0.89) and complete games (T13th, 3). Kirby was a 3-time Colonial Athletic Association Pitcher of the Week this season (February 19, February 26 & March 12), a 2019 Baseball America Second Team Preseason All-American and a 2019 Perfect Game Second Team Preseason All-American. MLB.com and Baseball America rated Kirby as having the “Best Control” among all eligible pitchers in the draft. Kirby is the first player from Elon University to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft. 

In three seasons at Elon, he went 19-8 with a 3.34 (ERA (89 ER, 240.0 IP) in 45 games, 34 starts. After his sophomore season, he was named to the 2018 Second-Team All-CAA and Second-Team NCCSIA All-State. His 10 wins in 2018 were tied for the 3rd-most in program history. He was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team following his freshman season in 2017. In 2017, Kirby was part of the first no-hitter in CAA Tournament history as he combined with Jordan Barrett to no-hit College of Charleston. 

Prior to his time at Elon University, he was a three-time all-metro, all-state, all-section, all-league player at Rye High School in Rye, New York. He was ranked as the No. 2 right-handed pitcher in the state of New York by Perfect Game in 2016. He helped his team to a pair of league titles, a sectional championship and state finals appearance. Kirby was originally selected by the New York Mets in the 32nd round of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft, but opted to play with Elon instead. 

Williamson, 21, went 4-5 with a 4.19 ERA (36 ER, 77.1 IP) with 89 strikeouts and 36 walks in 16 starts with TCU this season. He posted 10.36 strikeouts-per-9.0 innings (89 K, 77.1 IP) while allowing only 5 home runs in 77.1 innings pitched (0.58 HR/9.0 IP). The 6-foot-6, 210-pound left-hander is a native of Welcome, MN.

He began his collegiate career at North Iowa Area Community College. In his sophomore season at North Iowa in 2018, he was selected to the NJCAA North Plains All-District Team after going 8-4 with a 3.14 ERA (23 ER, 66.0 IP) while striking out 104 and walking 34. He was selected by Milwaukee in the 36th round of the 2018 MLB Draft but did not sign. Over 2 seasons at North Iowa, he went 12-5 with a 3.44 ERA (44 ER, 115.0 IP) while striking out 151 and walking 59.

The Mariners also announced today that the club has signed 23rd round selection Caleb Ricca, a shortstop from Northwestern State and Fred Villarreal, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Texas.

All Major League teams have until July 12, 2019 (2:00 p.m. PT) to sign drafted players with remaining college eligibility.