Photo by: NEW YORK YANKEES
Big League Birdballers: Yankees Rotation Fit For A King?
July 22, 2020 | Baseball, #ForBoston Files
Circumstances opened the door for Mike King to contend for a starter's role in the Bronx.
New York Yankee fans everywhere likely inhaled a collective breath over the July 4th weekend. Super-slugger Aaron Judge faced pitcher Masahiro Tanaka in a scrimmage, training camp setting when the hulking power hitter lined a comebacker off the pitcher's head. It collapsed his teammates to the ground in a frightening display, arguably the scariest possible scenario in baseball, and the situation only eased when Tanaka exited the field under his own power.
Watching Tanaka walk off the field allowed fans a sigh of relief, but it created a baseball-related situation for the manager Aaron Boone. The righty was a stalwart in his team's rotation and a valued piece of its pitching staff. Without him, a hole remained, one that he needed to fill.
One of the names that came up immediately was Michael King, a right-handed pitching prospect from New England, now thrust into a featured role for a World Series contender as Opening Day dawns on the shortened 2020 baseball season.
"All you can ask for is to fight for a spot in Spring Training," King told YES Network in March. "The Yankees have an unreal staff, but any way that I can contribute to the team, that's what I'll do, whether it's (as) a reliever or a starter.
King's addition to the the opening day roster, which was confirmed by Boone on Tuesday, caps a journey that began in Chestnut Hill with Boston College in 2014. An undrafted prospect out of high school, the Eagles recruited the local, Rhode Island product with the intention of working him through their player development system, and he excelled immediately by posting a 2.93 ERA over 43 innings of work in his freshman season.
He exploded that success onto the national college baseball scene the next year when head coach Mike Gambino transitioned him into a starter's role. He started eight games over the final eight weeks and earned his only victory of the year by dominating a nationally-ranked team. Facing Georgia Tech in April, King retired the last 17 batters of the game and faced the minimum with a one-hit, complete game shutout of the Yellow Jackets.Â
The next year, he threw 100 innings as BC's cornerstone starter, a start-to-finish ace that went 8-4 in 17 appearances. He won both of his appearances in the NCAA Tournament that year, beating Utah in the NCAA Regionals and beating Miami to force a third game in the Super Regionals.
"Mike became exactly what we thought he would become when we recruited him, which was an ACC ace," head coach Mike Gambino said in 2016. "It has to do with how hard he works. Mike was always a pitcher. You put him on the mound, and he's almost surgical at times."
The Miami Marlins drafted him with the 353rd overall selection in the 12th round of the 2016 MLB Entry Draft, but after less than two years in the organization, the Marlins dealt him to the Yankees in exchange for Caleb Smith and Garrett Cooper. He promptly excelled and rocketed up three levels in the minor league system. In 2018, at his highest level, King went 4-0 in six starts for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Triple-A with a dominant 1.15 ERA.Â
His debut came less than a year later, despite missing the first half of the 2019 season due to injury, when New York called him up to the big leagues in September. He went two innings in relief against Texas in a staff-compiled victory, surrendering one run on two hits with a strikeout.
"Michael King is very polished," catcher Erik Kraatz said in the aforementioned segment. "He is very focused and dedicated on what he does, and he will help the big league team tremendously in the future here, whether it's on Opening Day or it's two years from now. His competitiveness is going to keep him around for a while."
King never graced one of the hotshot prospect lists, but his cerebral, surgical approach to pitching is a big reason why he continues to advance his career. He's a ground ball magician with a paintbrush sinker for an out pitch, and he mixes it with deceptively-quick breaking balls and off-speed pitches. His fastball isn't considered overpowering, but he's capable of ranking up to plus-plus velocity when necessary.
None of this, though, guaranteed a spot on New York's pitching staff. The Yankees expect World Series contention every year, and the roster is lined with All Stars and legends as a result. Gerrit Cole won 20 games for Houston last year and finished second in the Cy Young voting after leading the American League in strikeouts; New York signed him to the richest free agent contract for a pitcher in the offseason.
James Paxton won 15 games last year after throwing a no-hitter for Seattle in 2018, and Masahiro Tanaka is one of the best postseason pitchers in baseball.Â
Veteran J.A. Happ is a former 20-game winner who went 7-0 for the Yankees after being acquired in a deadline deal in 2018, and Domingo German won 18 games last year. Prospects Jordan Montgomery and Jonathan Loaisiga are considered clear arms of the future.
Breaking into that lineup would normally be nearly, but the COVID-19 pandemic twisted the whole situation on its side. It canceled Spring Training and the Minor League Baseball season, effectively costing organizations the opportunity to train and produce players mid-season. The calendar schedule shortened to 60 games, and German, facing a lengthy suspension, lost the entire season.
Then came Tanaka's incident at the beginning of the month, and all of a sudden, Mike King's name rocketed to the top of lists as a potential member of the Yankee rotation.
"He's confident and has a presence on the mound," manager Aaron Boone told YES Network in March. "There's no fear out there. He feels like he belongs, and he's certainly in the mix."
On Saturday night, King illustrated exactly what that met. The Yankees crossed the East River to Flushing, to play the Mets in a preseason exhibition game. King was handed the ball for his first-ever start for the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees staked him to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, and in the bottom of the second, Michael Conforto led off by working a 2-2 count against the right handed pitcher. The notoriously-fast worker on the mound wound and delivered a sinker that dove away from the left-handed hitter's bat. Conforto swung aimlessly and off-balance, and he missed everything short of the New York summer air. As he walked back to the dugout, Conforto looked back at the plate and smirked, while King flashed a megawatt smile on the mound.
He knew what Conforto was thinking, and the batter knew what the pitch said. Mike King was ready for the big leagues and ready to assume a mantle on a Yankee team expected, every year, to contend for a World Series crown.
Watching Tanaka walk off the field allowed fans a sigh of relief, but it created a baseball-related situation for the manager Aaron Boone. The righty was a stalwart in his team's rotation and a valued piece of its pitching staff. Without him, a hole remained, one that he needed to fill.
One of the names that came up immediately was Michael King, a right-handed pitching prospect from New England, now thrust into a featured role for a World Series contender as Opening Day dawns on the shortened 2020 baseball season.
"All you can ask for is to fight for a spot in Spring Training," King told YES Network in March. "The Yankees have an unreal staff, but any way that I can contribute to the team, that's what I'll do, whether it's (as) a reliever or a starter.
King's addition to the the opening day roster, which was confirmed by Boone on Tuesday, caps a journey that began in Chestnut Hill with Boston College in 2014. An undrafted prospect out of high school, the Eagles recruited the local, Rhode Island product with the intention of working him through their player development system, and he excelled immediately by posting a 2.93 ERA over 43 innings of work in his freshman season.
He exploded that success onto the national college baseball scene the next year when head coach Mike Gambino transitioned him into a starter's role. He started eight games over the final eight weeks and earned his only victory of the year by dominating a nationally-ranked team. Facing Georgia Tech in April, King retired the last 17 batters of the game and faced the minimum with a one-hit, complete game shutout of the Yellow Jackets.Â
The next year, he threw 100 innings as BC's cornerstone starter, a start-to-finish ace that went 8-4 in 17 appearances. He won both of his appearances in the NCAA Tournament that year, beating Utah in the NCAA Regionals and beating Miami to force a third game in the Super Regionals.
"Mike became exactly what we thought he would become when we recruited him, which was an ACC ace," head coach Mike Gambino said in 2016. "It has to do with how hard he works. Mike was always a pitcher. You put him on the mound, and he's almost surgical at times."
The Miami Marlins drafted him with the 353rd overall selection in the 12th round of the 2016 MLB Entry Draft, but after less than two years in the organization, the Marlins dealt him to the Yankees in exchange for Caleb Smith and Garrett Cooper. He promptly excelled and rocketed up three levels in the minor league system. In 2018, at his highest level, King went 4-0 in six starts for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Triple-A with a dominant 1.15 ERA.Â
His debut came less than a year later, despite missing the first half of the 2019 season due to injury, when New York called him up to the big leagues in September. He went two innings in relief against Texas in a staff-compiled victory, surrendering one run on two hits with a strikeout.
"Michael King is very polished," catcher Erik Kraatz said in the aforementioned segment. "He is very focused and dedicated on what he does, and he will help the big league team tremendously in the future here, whether it's on Opening Day or it's two years from now. His competitiveness is going to keep him around for a while."
King never graced one of the hotshot prospect lists, but his cerebral, surgical approach to pitching is a big reason why he continues to advance his career. He's a ground ball magician with a paintbrush sinker for an out pitch, and he mixes it with deceptively-quick breaking balls and off-speed pitches. His fastball isn't considered overpowering, but he's capable of ranking up to plus-plus velocity when necessary.
None of this, though, guaranteed a spot on New York's pitching staff. The Yankees expect World Series contention every year, and the roster is lined with All Stars and legends as a result. Gerrit Cole won 20 games for Houston last year and finished second in the Cy Young voting after leading the American League in strikeouts; New York signed him to the richest free agent contract for a pitcher in the offseason.
James Paxton won 15 games last year after throwing a no-hitter for Seattle in 2018, and Masahiro Tanaka is one of the best postseason pitchers in baseball.Â
Veteran J.A. Happ is a former 20-game winner who went 7-0 for the Yankees after being acquired in a deadline deal in 2018, and Domingo German won 18 games last year. Prospects Jordan Montgomery and Jonathan Loaisiga are considered clear arms of the future.
Breaking into that lineup would normally be nearly, but the COVID-19 pandemic twisted the whole situation on its side. It canceled Spring Training and the Minor League Baseball season, effectively costing organizations the opportunity to train and produce players mid-season. The calendar schedule shortened to 60 games, and German, facing a lengthy suspension, lost the entire season.
Then came Tanaka's incident at the beginning of the month, and all of a sudden, Mike King's name rocketed to the top of lists as a potential member of the Yankee rotation.
"He's confident and has a presence on the mound," manager Aaron Boone told YES Network in March. "There's no fear out there. He feels like he belongs, and he's certainly in the mix."
On Saturday night, King illustrated exactly what that met. The Yankees crossed the East River to Flushing, to play the Mets in a preseason exhibition game. King was handed the ball for his first-ever start for the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees staked him to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, and in the bottom of the second, Michael Conforto led off by working a 2-2 count against the right handed pitcher. The notoriously-fast worker on the mound wound and delivered a sinker that dove away from the left-handed hitter's bat. Conforto swung aimlessly and off-balance, and he missed everything short of the New York summer air. As he walked back to the dugout, Conforto looked back at the plate and smirked, while King flashed a megawatt smile on the mound.
He knew what Conforto was thinking, and the batter knew what the pitch said. Mike King was ready for the big leagues and ready to assume a mantle on a Yankee team expected, every year, to contend for a World Series crown.
Women's Tennis: Nadia Check In (Oct. 28, 2025)
Tuesday, October 28
Women's Tennis: Freshman Check in (Oct. 28, 2025)
Tuesday, October 28
Football: Head Coach Bill O'Brien Media Availability (October 28, 2025)
Tuesday, October 28
Football: Jordan McDonald Media Availability (October 28, 2025)
Tuesday, October 28
