Astros Should Have Seen Bryan King's Collapse Coming

Houston Astros reliever Bryan King was a steady setup man for three months of the 2026 season. It all came crashing down with five straight run-scoring appearances and a demotion. With a deeper dive, the evidence of cracks in the foundation might have appeared even before this recent bad stretch for this bullpen arm.

King's Upside

King was one of the bright spots in the Astros bullpen through 94 team games. He posted a 2.03 ERA in his first 38 games with 12 holds and six saves to go along with three blown saves. King’s FIP indicated he might have been getting a little lucky, as that number stood at 3.24.

Also, his strikeout numbers weren’t where they were in recent years. Before the five-game stretch of subpar performances, King was striking out 18.7% of hitters compared to 26.0% in his first two seasons.

King has been a bright spot in the Astros bullpen since he made his major league debut in 2024, posting a 2.39 ERA his first year in 28 games then playing a full season with a 2.78 ERA in 68 games last season. In his 2025 campaign, he recorded 27 holds with two saves with just three blown saves.

King's Rough Patch

Jul 7, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Bryan King (74) Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This season, King’s downfall started in a loss to the Texas Rangers on July 10, when he entered in a 3-3 game in the eighth and proceeded to put the game out of reach with four earned runs, including two home runs. Since then, he has allowed a run in all five appearances. He allowed a home run in four games in a row before a homerless two-run outing last time out.

King was sent down to Triple-A after the fourth of the run-allowing appearances but was quickly recalled after Spencer Arighetti was moved to the 15-day IL. Over this five game stretch he has earned two losses including one blow save loss where he took a 2-1 lead and left with a 3-2 deficit. He has a 15.88 ERA and 14.41 FIP over his last five games.

What To Expect Going Forward

The question for the Astros is when to use King if at all. On Sunday, they brought him in when the team was already trailing by three runs in the last innings. It all comes down to which King we can expect to see in the coming weeks.

He has gone from reliable seventh-inning man to unplayable. The home run numbers indicate that this five-game stretch in his season is more than bad luck. King has earned a few more low-stress appearances to see if he can right the ship, similar to what was given to Bryan Abreu.

Unless desperate in an extra-inning game, you’ll see King in only mop-up roles. However, the numbers from the start indicate you may not get the 2024-25 King again this season.

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