The New York Yankees are like a factory that creates and develops useful pitchers by the dozen.
After pitching coach Matt Blake and coordinator Sam Briend arrived to the organization in 2019, the entire pitching landscape in the franchise changed.
They have rescued careers, reinvented pitchers who were seemingly done, and helped prospects get the best of their talent.
They helped Jonathan Loaisiga become one of the best relievers in the American League in 2021, for example.
Well, Michael King is this year’s Loaisiga.
The right-hander had another dominant showing on Tuesday night, against the Baltimore Orioles.
In a Yankees victory, King was perfect for three innings.
“Michael King tonight: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 38 P. Season ERA: 1.40,” Talkin’ Yanks tweeted after his performance against the O’s.
Michael King tonight 🔥
3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, 38 P
Season ERA: 1.40 pic.twitter.com/fTavlwaG3H
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 18, 2022
It was a truly masterful performance for the dynamic righty.
A New Role For The Dominant Righty
The Yanks are using King as a multi-inning reliever, which is a new role for him because his appearances are longer and further between, but not quite as a traditional starter.
Over the course of his MLB career, King has been used as a starter, as a traditional reliever (one inning or so per outing); and now as a multi-inning fireman.
Pitchers like King don’t grow on trees, and they usually make their money in the postseason.
The Yankees can count on him to face the toughest part of the opposing lineup at least one time, and possibly twice.
He is throwing harder than last year, close to 96 mph on average, and his strikeout rate has increased dramatically, from 22.5 percent last year to 39.4 percent in 2022.
He is now a legitimate weapon from the Yankees’ bullpen.
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