The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
King releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 18 degrees above horizontal and 2.9 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
831 tracked release points, averaging 5.3 feet off the ground.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .365 expected average against them, against .249 on his breaking balls.
390 of his fastballs thrown.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
King throws 51.7% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 40.1% with the bases empty.
151 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 680 with the bases empty.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
King's sinker moves 17.4 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
223 thrown, averaging 92.6 mph.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off King's sinker leaves the bat at 91.1 mph, against 77.7 off his 4-seam fastball.
223 and 167 of them thrown.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
King's sweeper spins at 2,831 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
174 thrown in 2026.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes King goes to the 4-seam fastball: 26.9% of his two-strike pitches, against 17.3% the rest of the time.
242 two-strike pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
King's 4-seam fastball carries 14.2 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
167 thrown, averaging 94.0 mph.
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against King is weak: 85.3 mph off the bat on average, 87th percentile.
831 pitches in 2026. 87th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 70th in MLB.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
King works with 5 pitches: Changeup, Sinker, Sweeper and 4-Seam Fastball, and a little else. The changeup is 27.1% of everything he throws.
831 classified pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
King puts 57.5% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 38% when he is ahead.
254 located pitches behind, 213 ahead.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
King lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.28 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
831 located pitches in 2026.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 31.3% of the contact King gives up is hit hard, 84th percentile.
831 pitches in 2026. 84th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 86th in MLB.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
King releases the ball 5.9 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
680 tracked pitches in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
King throws the changeup 35.6% of the time against left-handers and 14.6% against right-handers.
336 pitches to right-handers, 495 to left-handers.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
King averages 88.5 mph across his arsenal, 32nd percentile in the league.
831 pitches in 2026. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 363rd in MLB.
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
King puts 40.5% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 43.4% of his pitches to left-handers.
336 pitches to right-handed hitters, 495 to left-handed hitters.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
King lands 47.7% of his fastballs in the zone and only 35.2% of his breaking balls.
390 of his fastballs, 216 of his breaking balls.
His velocity drains away as the outing goes on
King's fastball averages 93.6 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 93.0 past his 75th.
120 early fastballs, 73 late ones.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.1 mph separates King's 4-seam fastball from his sweeper, 94.0 against 81.9.
167 and 174 of them respectively.
He falls behind hitters far too often
King throws a strike on the first pitch 57.3% of the time.
206 plate appearances started in 2026.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
18.2% of King's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
151 of 831 located pitches.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
King's sinker averages 92.6 mph, and has touched 95.3.
223 thrown, 26.8% of his pitches.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against King projects a .308 average, 67th percentile.
831 pitches in 2026. 67th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 176th in MLB.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
King releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 18 degrees above horizontal and 2.9 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
831 tracked release points, averaging 5.3 feet off the ground.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
King releases the ball 5.9 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
680 tracked pitches in 2026.
His velocity drains away as the outing goes on
King's fastball averages 93.6 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 93.0 past his 75th.
120 early fastballs, 73 late ones.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .365 expected average against them, against .249 on his breaking balls.
390 of his fastballs thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
King lands 47.7% of his fastballs in the zone and only 35.2% of his breaking balls.
390 of his fastballs, 216 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
King throws 51.7% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 40.1% with the bases empty.
151 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 680 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
King's sinker moves 17.4 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
223 thrown, averaging 92.6 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
King's 4-seam fastball carries 14.2 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
167 thrown, averaging 94.0 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off King's sinker leaves the bat at 91.1 mph, against 77.7 off his 4-seam fastball.
223 and 167 of them thrown.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
King's sweeper spins at 2,831 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
174 thrown in 2026.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
King works with 5 pitches: Changeup, Sinker, Sweeper and 4-Seam Fastball, and a little else. The changeup is 27.1% of everything he throws.
831 classified pitches in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
King throws the changeup 35.6% of the time against left-handers and 14.6% against right-handers.
336 pitches to right-handers, 495 to left-handers.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.1 mph separates King's 4-seam fastball from his sweeper, 94.0 against 81.9.
167 and 174 of them respectively.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
King's sinker averages 92.6 mph, and has touched 95.3.
223 thrown, 26.8% of his pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes King goes to the 4-seam fastball: 26.9% of his two-strike pitches, against 17.3% the rest of the time.
242 two-strike pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
King puts 57.5% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 38% when he is ahead.
254 located pitches behind, 213 ahead.
He falls behind hitters far too often
King throws a strike on the first pitch 57.3% of the time.
206 plate appearances started in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against King is weak: 85.3 mph off the bat on average, 87th percentile.
831 pitches in 2026. 87th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 70th in MLB.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 31.3% of the contact King gives up is hit hard, 84th percentile.
831 pitches in 2026. 84th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 86th in MLB.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against King projects a .308 average, 67th percentile.
831 pitches in 2026. 67th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 176th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
King lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.28 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
831 located pitches in 2026.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
18.2% of King's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
151 of 831 located pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
King averages 88.5 mph across his arsenal, 32nd percentile in the league.
831 pitches in 2026. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 363rd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
King puts 40.5% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 43.4% of his pitches to left-handers.
336 pitches to right-handed hitters, 495 to left-handed hitters.
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