Padres News: A.J. Preller Excited For Breakout Season From Young Starter

Padres president is excited to see the emergence of his new arm

After a dissipating 2023 season, your San Diego Padres will look for a bounce-back season. Although this team won’t be the same from the past two seasons, the Padres still have the firepower in their lineup. 

The loss of Juan Soto will hurt a bit, but the team got plenty of pieces in return to stay in contention. One of the players in return is right-hand pitcher Michael King. King, 28, played the role of reliever for the New York Yankees but ended up starting games for the New York toward the end of the season.

As a starter, King played phenomenally. Because of how his season ended, Padres president and general manager A.J. Preller cannot wait to see King in the brown and gold. 

“It was really exciting,” Preller said. “Combination of stuff with command. … He was one of the better relievers in the league last year. And honestly, in the last two months of the season, was one of the top starters, too.”

(Per A.J. Preller via MLB.com)

The 28-year-old was solid in his fifth season, putting up a 2.75 ERA, recording a career-high 127 strikeouts, and a 1.15 WHIP in 104.2 innings and 49 games, nine of which he started. 

In September 2023, his first entire month as a starter, King recorded a 1.30 ERA, allowed 21 hits, four earned runs, and 39 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched.

The excitement is palpable for Preller, and the fans should share that sentiment. King could be an excellent pick-up for the Friars. If he performs how he did at the end of the season, the Padres have themselves a good one in the rotation.