TORONTO – Johnny King believes the fiery demeanour that’s part of his trademark on the mound is innate.
“I get the competitiveness from being a redheaded Italian — I mean, those two together is a very, very steamy combo,” explains the Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospect dominating with the high-A Vancouver Canadians. “I have that keep-going mindset, just pitch-by-pitch, day-by-day. All that kind of stuff matters. The mental side matters more than anything in baseball. I just want the hitters to know that they're facing a fierce competitor, for sure.”
Opponents in the Northwest League are definitely finding out as the 19-year-old, 4.2 years younger than average in the loop, has struck out 83 in 61.2 innings with a 2.92 ERA over 16 starts. What’s more, he’s doing it while using a revamped changeup about 30 per cent of the time in games, showing a willingness to risk damage on a developmental priority that could become an ideal complement to his dominant fastball/curveball combo.
Veering from his best stuff in leverage can be hard for a pitcher with King’s fire and two elite primary weapons, but he’s embracing the bigger picture in his progression.
“He's already a stud, but for him to really evolve into the potential stud he can be, having that third pitch, especially something that gives hitters a different look, is big,” said Blue Jays farm director Joe Sclafani. “He's hit on some really good changeups and if he develops that even into an average one, he's going to be in great shape. We've talked to him a lot about it, like, we know you can get through these guys without leaning on it and you're a competitor and you want to win games, but we're trying to prepare you for the next levels. And he's responded. For him to be throwing it as often as he is now is really, really encouraging.”
The more he uses the change, the more comfortable he’s getting with the pitch, which King describes as a “splangeup.”
The well-executed ones drop sharply the way a splitter typically does, thanks to a grip in which his middle finger runs along one seam while he tucks his index finger into a circle.
“The changeup has been the huge thing for me,” King said. “They're trying to have me take shots with it at the level I'm at now. Like, if they hit a homer so what, who cares, we just want to see it develop. They want me to be comfortable and confident with it.”
That takes time and patience, something the 2024 third-round pick the Blue Jays bought out of a commitment to the University of Miami is learning.
Last year, between the rookie-level Complex League and low-A Dunedin, he was largely limited to about four innings per outing, though he twice got up to five frames in especially efficient starts. This season in Vancouver, the reins are being loosened, and he’s essentially been told that he has up to 90 pitches per game and if he wants more innings, he needs to learn to be more economical.
“I'm definitely excited for that,” said King, who knows lowering a walk rate currently sitting at 5.1 per nine innings is central to making that happen. “As a guy that is not always around the zone, sometimes I don't have it and I walk guys. So how can I make the best out of that, how can I make the best five, six innings possible, going as long as I can? Being in the zone and getting ahead of guys is the biggest thing for me, 0-1, 0-2 as fast as possible, and putting guys away within four pitches.”
King has done some off-season training with Chris Sale and cites Clayton Kershaw, among other “fierce lefties out there to compete,” plus Trey Yesavage as pitchers he tries to pull from.
He and Yesavage first met at the MLB combine ahead of the 2024 draft and then spent time together at the Blue Jays’ camp that summer, becoming golf buddies along the way.
“Trey goes about his game really well,” said King. “It's really cool to see what he's doing and how he competes out there, just really staying calm, cool, and collected and dominating.”
While Yesavage has only seen King pitching on a back field in person, it was obvious that “he's got an electric arm and the sky's the limit for him as long as he progresses and just believes in himself,” said the Blue Jays righty. “Don’t get too caught up in the process of everything, keep it day-to-day and he'll be a great player.”
Words King is taking to heart.
“Patience is definitely a big part of this – they're going to know when I'm ready and I'm going to know when I'm ready,” said King, naming his priorities for the rest of the season as “definitely lowering the walk rate, keep pounding the zone and I want to obviously throw as many innings as I can. I want to go six complete soon. I want to keep doing what I'm doing, but still have to be better.”
A look elsewhere around the Blue Jays system:
TRIPLE-A BUFFALO BISONS
An emerging developmental success story is Jay Harry’s growth from organization player to a potential future big leaguer. The 23-year-old utility man spent all off-season training at the complex in Dunedin and locked in some adjustments to his posture at the plate, designed to limit his head movement and better control his move forward. He mashed at double-A New Hampshire to start and now is doing the same with the Bisons. In 21 games heading into Thursday’s play, he’s batting .315/.378/.584 with five homers and 23 RBIs, after hitting .325/.354/.580 with eight homers and 39 RBIs in 48 games with the Fisher Cats. Combined with his plus defence at shortstop and centre field, the left-handed hitter acquired from the Twins for Trevor Richards in the 2024 deadline sell-off is suddenly on the team’s radar. … Jake Bloss’s velocity is up since returning from Tommy John surgery and topped out at 97 m.p.h. while averaging 96.3 last Sunday, his fourth start with the Bisons. Emphasis points for him right now are relearning the patterning of his arm feels and understanding how his body works, post-procedure, to better sequence and execute. … The Blue Jays are moving Ricky Tiedemann into a one-inning role after his most recent rehab assignment was shut down due to a neck issue that was treated with injections. They are hoping the shorter stints will reduce the stress on his body and allow him to return sooner.
DOUBLE-A NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS
Arjun Nimmala hit his first double-A homer Wednesday, in his first game back at the level after suffering a hamstring strain at the end of May. The injury interrupted a steady season of progress for the 20-year-old, who, in 19 games since being promoted from Vancouver, is batting .313/.387/.418. … Righty Nolan Perry, who struck out seven over three shutout innings in his Fisher Cats debut, is slated to next pitch in the Futures Game on Sunday. … Catcher Aaron Parker, a sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft, is impressing with his work both at and behind the plate. He’s hitting .266/.367/.473 with 10 homers in 50 games.
HIGH-A VANCOUVER CANADIANS
Daniel Guerra, a six-foot-six, 230-pound righty from Venezuela, was nearing a promotion to double-A before some elbow/biceps soreness shut him down in mid-June. He’d made major strides after growing more into his body over the winter and results followed, with 73 strikeouts in 54 innings and a 3.17 ERA over 12 starts. His strikeout numbers have surged, from 9.2 to 12.2 per nine innings, his fastball ticking up as he’s able to get down the mound faster and he’s added a splitter for a different look. As of now, the Blue Jays are expecting to return later this season. … Infielder Eric Snow, a sixth-rounder last year, has a .920 OPS in 21 games since being promoted from Dunedin, and is giving player-development staff an Ernie Clement vibe, capable of playing strong defence at multiple positions with good bat-to-ball skills.
LOW-A DUNEDIN BLUE JAYS
JoJo Parker, whose progress is covered well in this piece by colleague Ben Nicholson-Smith, is joining Nolan Perry as a Blue Jays representative in the Futures Game. … Infielder Juan Sanchez, at 18 the youngest player on the Dunedin roster, continues to make adjustments after being fed a steady diet of spin to open the season. His OPS has progressed in monthly splits from .396 to .730 to .762 from April to June, and the Blue Jays liked the way he worked through his initial struggles, refusing to put his head down and simply pursuing adjustments.
ROOKIE FCL BLUE JAYS
South Korean righty Seojun Moon, signed last September, is believed to be the first Asian teenager the Blue Jays have transitioned into their farm system. One of his first asks was for an English teacher, which the team set up for him, and he’s made so much progress that his interpreter is getting teased about being out of a job in the coming months. On the mound, Moon has intentionally added and subtracted from a fastball that’s ranged from 89-94, trying to keep hitters off balance and the Blue Jays like the way he moves down the mound with a six-foot-four, 214-pound frame. His ERA spiked to 6.17 after getting roughed up for six runs in 2.1 innings Tuesday, but has 26 strikeouts in 23.1 innings over nine games thus far. … Switch-hitting middle infielder Angel Guzman was considered the best hitter in the Blue Jays’ spread-the-wealth class from the 2024 international signing period and is showing that in the FCL. The 18-year-old has an .835 OPS in 40 games with 30 walks against 36 strikeouts in 215 plate appearances.
