Rangers Spring Training Preview: John King

John King is a young reliever who is hoping to stick with the Texas Rangers in 2023.

InsidetheRangers.com previews each of the players on the Texas Rangers 40-man roster going into Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona.

P John King

In 2022: King went back and forth from the Rangers to Triple-A Round Rock after he made the Opening Day roster. He was optioned and recalled twice, but he ended the regular season on the active roster.

Along the way, King went 1-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 39 appearances, all in relief. He had eight holds. He threw 51 1/3 innings with 61 hits, 27 runs (23 earned), five home runs and 14 walks. He struck out 30. Opponents hit .298 against him and had a 1.46 WHIP.

King’s performance in 2022 was a bit of a step back from 2021, when he emerged as an arm of the future in the Rangers’ bullpen in the league’s first full season after the COVID-shortened 2020 season. In 2021 King went 7-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 27 games.

King’s win-loss record went upside down and his ERA went up from 2021 to 2022. But King’s efficient in giving up runs against his innings pitched remained basically the same.

The biggest difference between 2021 and 2022 was his opponent batting average, which went up by 65 points.

King’s Career at a Glance: The Rangers’ 10th-round pick in 2017 has two years of service time in the Majors, playing in three seasons. He has a 9-9 career record with a 4.01 ERA.

Contract Status: King is under team control in 2023. He is eligible for arbitration in 2024. He won’t be a free agent until after the 2027 season.

In Surprise: King will be one of many competing for what will be anywhere from seven to eight bullpen spots (it will depend upon what the Rangers decide to do with their starting rotation). King, a left-hander, has an opportunity to stake a claim to the Matt Moore role in the bullpen. Moore and Brock Burke — the Rangers’ 2022 Rookie of the Year — served as a great 1-2 southpaw punch last season. King will have to fight off relievers like Taylor Hearn to do it. Hearn had a quality half-season once the Rangers committed to keeping him in the bullpen. King has a bit more of a track record than some of the other candidates and he’ll need to show new Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux that he can handle high-leverage situations during spring training.

2023 Texas Rangers 40-Man Spring Training Previews:

Joe Barlow |

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