In middle relief role, King sets himself apart

JUPITER, Fla. -- While millions of kids grow up dreaming of being Major Leaguers, few ever hold out hope that they can someday become a middle reliever. No kid thinks about closing out the sixth inning of Game 7 of the World Series when much more prolific jobs, such as being a dominant starter or a steely closer, might be within reach.

All of that comes with one major caveat, of course.

“I think you grow up wanting to be a big leaguer,” interjected Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, whose Cardinals hosted the Astros on Sunday at Roger Dean Stadium.

“Once you realize that, you start to think through, ‘What’s the best way for me to fit this roster? What’s the best way for me to impact the game and help the team?’ Then, your mindset frames around that.”

Cardinals reliever John King certainly never dreamed of being a middle reliever, setup man or lefty specialist, but those are roles that he has learned to master to stick at the big league level and become an integral part of St. Louis’ bullpen. While closer Ryan Helsley (49 saves) and Andrew Kittredge (37 holds) got most of the headlines for the bullpen’s success, others such as JoJo Romero, Matthew Liberatore, Ryan Fernandez and King comprised the guts of one of the game’s most dominant bullpens in 2024.

King, 30, not only compiled a 3-3 record and a 2.85 ERA, but he ranked in the 98th percentile in inducing grounders (61.5%) and his low walk rate (5.6%) was in MLB’s top 13 percentile. A stellar sinker that averaged 3.4 inches of break induced a chase rate of 31.4% (top 21 percentile) and opponents barreled his pitches up just 6.2% (top 21 percentile).

A star starter throughout much of his development days in baseball, King admitted that adjusting to a middle relief role was a process.

“It was tough for me to transition, because when you’re a starter, you’re so routine-oriented and you always know when you are going to pitch,” said King, a promising starter when he pitched at the University of Houston. “It took me a full year to feel comfortable with all the anxiousness of being out in the bullpen and the unknown of when you are going to get in. Because you experience that [unknown] more as a reliever, you tend to embrace being ready every day.

“Now I have my routine and whenever they need me, I’m going to be ready. I’m the guy, whether it’s the fourth inning, the eighth or whatever.”

King, who was selected in the 10th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Rangers even though he needed Tommy John surgery to repair a torn elbow ligament, said his shift to the bullpen helped him better calm his nerves. Something of an overthinker at times, King likes to hone in on potential matchups and pitching plans -- sometimes to his detriment. The jokes that regularly bounce around the bullpen early in games help to distract him from overthinking.

“For me, I get too fixated on pitching, so sometimes it’s just about hanging out with the guys those first four or five innings,” said King, who came to the Cardinals from the Rangers in a 2023 trade centered around Jordan Montgomery. “[Kittredge] was funny down there last year, and we’re going to miss him. But we have a good group that hangs out [just off the clubhouse] and once the fifth inning comes, everyone goes up and knows it’s time to work and lock in.”

With Kittredge gone, the Cardinals are seeking a dependable reliever who can handle the high-leverage moments of the eighth inning to potentially get the ball -- and the lead -- to Helsley. King, who stranded 75.8% of runners on base last season and got swings on 31.4% of his pitches that were out of the strike zone, could be a candidate to share more of those high-leverage innings.

As nerve-racking as it can be pitching in relief, King had no such jitters last year when he proposed to long-time girlfriend Jillian, who he married over the winter. At times, it’s difficult to tell who is more nervous during his outings -- King or his new wife -- but he said Jillian has helped him weather the highs and lows that invariably come with being an MLB reliever.

“She didn’t [know] much about baseball when we met and that was kind of nice and comforting,” King joked. “But she’s learned a lot the last couple of years that we’ve been together. Win or lose, she is there for me, no matter what. Throughout my career I get fixated on things and I’ve had to learn to leave whatever happened that day at the ballpark and love my wife.”