Michael King Sets Major Goal For Himself in Second Season With Padres

When the San Diego Padres acquired Michael King as part of the trade that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankeees, they weren't sure what type of pitcher he was going to be.

He had spent most of his big league career in the bullpen but had some experience starting. San Diego needed him to be a starter.

The right-hander delivered a performance in 2024 that exceeded expectations for everyone involved with the Padres.

King posted a 2.85 ERA over 30 starts and finished seventh in National League Cy Young voting. His overall 2.95 ERA, which included a relief outing in the second game of the season, ranked fourth in the NL. He also recorded 201 strikeouts (fifth) and pitched 173.2 innings (14th).

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After a successful first season as a starter, King has set loftier goals for 2025.

“There was a college professor of mine that said it when he was talking about tech companies," King said. "It was, ‘Once, you’re lucky. Twice, you’re good.’ I don’t want to say anybody can do it for one year, but you’ve seen a lot of one-and-done guys that had one successful year and then their bodies broke down, or they, I don’t want to say, like, got too big on themselves and don’t repeat it. So I think I definitely have to prove that I can do it (for) multiple years.

“I also think 200 innings is the sign of a good starter, and I didn’t do that last year. So I’ve got a lot to prove.”

King’s goal for 2024 was to log 180 innings during the regular season and 200, including the postseason. This year, he would like to throw 200 in the regular season and 220, including the playoffs.

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“Especially getting a good taste of it last year, obviously the World Series is the goal,” said King. “I know that starting pitching wins championships. … Now it’s like, I want to pitch every game in the playoffs.”

King battled adversity last season with the Padres. His season started rough but he gained the trust of the coaching staff and by the end, he was left in situations that he wouldn't have been in before.

“I think that Shildty started to learn me a little bit throughout the year, and that’s obviously a testament to a great manager,” said King. “Early on, I don’t think he had any reason to leave me out there. Like, there’s no reason. He had never seen me do it before, you know. And then as we continued to have conversations, I felt like I was given a little bit more of a leash.”

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