Kyle Harrison (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kyle Harrison |
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Harrison with the San Francisco Giants
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| Milwaukee Brewers – No. 52 | ||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | ||||||||||||||
| Born: August 12, 2001 San Jose, California, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| August 22, 2023, for the San Francisco Giants | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through April 11, 2026) |
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| Win–loss record | 10–10 | |||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 4.30 | |||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 206 | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Kyle Christopher Harrison, born on August 12, 2001, is an American professional baseball pitcher. He currently plays for the Milwaukee Brewers in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Brewers, he played for the San Francisco Giants and the Boston Red Sox. The Giants chose Harrison in the third round of the 2020 MLB draft. He made his exciting MLB debut with them in 2023.
Contents
Discovering Kyle Harrison's Early Life and Baseball Journey
Kyle Christopher Harrison was born in San Jose, California, on August 12, 2001. He spent his early years in Orange County, California. Later, from 2009 onwards, his family moved to Danville, California. Kyle comes from a family with a love for sports. His mother, Kim, played college field hockey for San Jose State University.
Kyle's maternal grandfather, Skip Guinn, was also a left-handed major league pitcher. Skip played in 68 games for the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros between 1968 and 1971. Kyle also has a younger brother named Connor, who is nicknamed “Bear.”
In 2015, when Kyle was 13, he was part of the Tri-Valley All-Stars team. This team won the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series, a big achievement for young players. Four years later, in 2019, Kyle showed off his pitching skills at the U-18 Baseball World Cup. He had the best earned run average (ERA) in the tournament, meaning he allowed very few runs. He pitched for Team USA, which won the gold medal. Kyle did not allow any runs in 10 innings and struck out 12 batters.
Harrison attended De La Salle High School in Concord, California. This school is located in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a sophomore in 2018, he had an impressive record of 9 wins and 1 loss. His ERA was a very low 1.17. In 54 innings, he recorded 71 strikeouts. He was named the East Bay Athletic League Pitcher of the Year. He also earned recognition as a 2018 MaxPreps National All-American.
In 2019, during his junior year, Kyle continued to excel. He had a perfect 10–0 record with a 1.26 ERA. He struck out 103 batters in 61 innings for his high school team, the Spartans. He also played first base sometimes. His senior season in 2020 was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he still managed a 2–0 record with a 0.78 ERA in nine innings, striking out 18 batters. Throughout his high school career, Kyle had an amazing 21–1 record. His ERA was 1.19 over three years. He struck out 192 batters in 124 innings. Batters found it very hard to hit against him, with an average of only .137. By his senior year, his fastball could reach 94 miles per hour. He also threw a slider, a change-up, and a curveball.
Kyle Harrison's Professional Baseball Journey
Joining the San Francisco Giants (2020–2025)
Drafted and Developing in the Minor Leagues
The San Francisco Giants chose Kyle Harrison in the third round of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. Kyle decided to sign with the Giants for a signing bonus of $2.5 million. This meant he chose to start his professional career instead of playing college baseball at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The Giants were very eager to sign him, offering much more than the usual amount for his draft spot. He did not play in any games in 2020 because the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kyle began his professional career in 2021 with the Low-A San Jose Giants. This team is part of the California League. He made 23 starts and led the league with a 3.19 ERA. He also had 157 strikeouts, which was the second-highest in the league. He averaged 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings, also ranking second. For his excellent performance, he was named the 2021 Low-A West Pitcher of the Year. He also received recognition as the CAL Pitcher of the Year and an MiLB.com Organization All-Star.
In 2022, Kyle was ranked as the #3 prospect in the Giants' organization. He was also selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game, which features top minor league players. He started the year with the High-A Eugene Emeralds. In seven starts, he struck out 59 batters in just 29 innings. This means he struck out about half of the batters he faced. He had an impressive 1.55 ERA with the Emeralds. Later, he moved up to the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels. He was almost five years younger than the average player in that league. He turned 21 in August, making him the youngest player in the team's history. With the Flying Squirrels, he had a 3.11 ERA in 18 starts, pitching 84 innings. He recorded 127 strikeouts, ranking sixth in the league. He struck out 36.4% of the batters he faced. His fastball was very effective, causing batters to miss 41% of the time. In 2022, his total of 186 strikeouts across all minor league levels was the second-highest. He led all minor league pitchers in strikeouts per 9 innings (14.8). This was the highest rate for a pitcher with at least 100 innings since 1960. Baseball America named him the Giants' 2022 Minor League Player of the Year. He was also recognized as the best pitching prospect in the Eastern League.
By the end of 2022, in his minor league career, Kyle had an 8–6 record with a 2.93 ERA. He struck out 343 batters in 211⁄2 innings, averaging 14.6 strikeouts per 9 innings.
Before the 2023 season, MLB.com ranked Kyle as the #18 prospect in all of minor league baseball. He started the 2023 season with the Triple–A Sacramento River Cats. At 21 years old, he was much younger than most players in that league. He was again chosen for the All-Star Futures Game in 2023. Before being called up to the major leagues, he was the Giants' top prospect. He was also the #1 left-handed pitching prospect in the minor leagues, according to MLB.com. With the River Cats, in 20 starts, he had 105 strikeouts in 65⁄2 innings. He averaged 14.4 strikeouts per 9 innings, which was second-best in the Pacific Coast League.
Making His Mark in Major League Baseball
Kyle Harrison made his exciting major league debut on August 22, 2023. He pitched against the Philadelphia Phillies. At 22 years and 10 days old, Kyle was the youngest Giants pitcher to debut since Madison Bumgarner in 2009. In his first game, he pitched 3⁄1 innings. He allowed five hits and two runs, and he struck out five batters. His fastball reached an impressive 97.6 miles per hour. Since 2008, only one other left-handed Giants starter, Carlos Rodón, had thrown a pitch that fast.
On August 28, in his second start, Kyle helped the Giants win 4–1 against the Cincinnati Reds. He pitched 6+1⁄3 shutout innings and struck out 11 batters. This made him the youngest Giant to achieve so many strikeouts since Madison Bumgarner in 2011. Kyle was also only the second pitcher in Giants history to have double-digit strikeouts in his second career start. The first was Jeff Tesreau with the New York Giants in 1912. This was Kyle's only win in the majors that year. He finished 2023 with a 1–1 record and a 4.19 ERA in 7 starts.
In his rookie season of 2024, Kyle made 24 starts for San Francisco. He had a record of 7 wins and 7 losses. His ERA was 4.56, and he recorded 118 strikeouts in 124⁄1 innings pitched.
To start the 2025 season, Kyle was sent to Triple-A Sacramento. However, he was called back to the major league team after their game on May 5. This time, he joined as a reliever, meaning he came into games after the starting pitcher. In eight appearances as a reliever, Kyle had a 1-1 record and a 4.56 ERA. He struck out 25 batters in 23⁄2 innings pitched.
Playing for the Boston Red Sox (2025–2026)
On June 15, 2025, the Giants traded Kyle Harrison to the Boston Red Sox. He was traded along with Jordan Hicks, James Tibbs III, and Jose Bello. In return, the Giants received Rafael Devers. Kyle made three appearances for Boston, including two starts. He had a 3.00 ERA and struck out 13 batters in 12 innings pitched during his time with the Red Sox.
Joining the Milwaukee Brewers (2026–Present)
On February 9, 2026, the Red Sox traded Kyle Harrison to his current team, the Milwaukee Brewers. He was traded along with David Hamilton and Shane Drohan. In exchange, the Red Sox received Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, and a draft pick for the 2026 MLB draft. Kyle is now an important part of the Brewers' pitching staff.
Kyle Harrison's Unique Pitching Style
Kyle Harrison has a unique way of pitching, with a low three-quarter release. This means his arm comes across his body at a lower angle when he throws the ball. He throws a mid-90s (meaning in the 90-95 mph range) rising four-seam fastball. This fastball can sometimes reach up to 98 miles per hour! He also throws a low-80s slider. This pitch has a big sideways break, making it very hard for batters to hit. It's often his best pitch for getting batters to swing and miss. Kyle is also developing a mid-80s one-seam changeup, which is another important pitch for a pitcher.
