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Kirby Yates

Pirates
Number #54
Position RP
Bats L
Throws R
Age 39
Height 5' 10"
Weight 205 lbs
Birth Place Lihue, HI
Born Mar 25, 1987

Key Insights

2026
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice

Yates releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 25 degrees above horizontal and 2.1 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.

726 tracked release points, averaging 5.1 feet off the ground.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on

Yates's 4-seam fastball averages 90.8 mph, and has touched 93.1.

477 thrown, 65.7% of his pitches.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming

Behind in the count Yates throws a fastball 76.2% of the time, against 58.3% when he is ahead.

193 pitches behind in the count, 223 ahead.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's

Yates's 4-seam fastball moves 14.4 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.

477 thrown, averaging 90.8 mph.
His pitches move in ways that fit together

Yates works with 2 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball and Splitter. The 4-seam fastball is 65.7% of everything he throws.

726 classified pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see

Yates's 4-seam fastball carries 12.8 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.

477 thrown, averaging 90.8 mph.

Movement Profile (Induced Break)

Catcher's Perspective • Pitch movement relative to a spinless ball

Player Bio Data
DOB Mar 25, 1987
Birth Place Lihue, HI
Height 5' 10"
Weight 205 lbs LBS
Bats/Throws L/R
College/Draft Yavapai College