'I Trust Him Against Anybody': Allard, King Helping Reverse Rangers' Bullpen Struggles
ARLINGTON, Texas — Heading into the spring training, the Texas Rangers bullpen was thought to be one of the strongest areas of the team.
However, the Rangers couldn't even make it out of camp without losing four, maybe even five mainstays in the bullpen. Jonathan Hernández, José Leclerc, Brett Martin, Joely Rodríguez, and Demarcus Evans all started the season on the Injured List. Martin and Rodríguez have since returned and pitched in big roles, but Evans is still working his way back. Hernández and Leclerc are both lost for all of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 due to Tommy John surgery.
This has paved the way for pitchers like Kolby Allard and John King to make the most out of their opportunities. They have helped pick up a Rangers bullpen that is currently 13th in the American League in reliever ERA and WHIP.
"I don't care where they are in their lineup, whether it's right or left, it doesn't matter," Woodward said of King. "This guy is gonna get the ball on the ground, and he's gonna get it weak. You've seen some of the best hitters in baseball put the ball on the ground and not very hard. I trust him against anybody."
In five appearances, Allard has racked up 10 innings of relief with a 1.80 ERA and 0.80 WHIP with an impressive 15 strikeouts. King is tied for the team lead with 10 appearances. King is more of a groundball pitcher, which makes him more susceptible to base hits, indicated by a 1.35 WHIP. However, he boasts a 1.35 ERA, the lowest mark in the Texas bullpen.
In addition, King ranks in the 91st percentile in barrel percentage and the 79th percentile in hardhit percentage. And despite a low strikeout total (eight in 13 1/3 innings), he's in the 99th percentile in chase rate.
In other words, King gives up a lot of weak contact. That has led Rangers manager Chris Woodward to go to him more often than any other reliever other than his closer.
Through the first 26 games of the season, the Rangers have had a bit of a carousel in the bullpen. Pitchers like Wes Benjamin and Taylor Hearn earned tandem spots with the starting rotation, but Benjamin was demoted after struggling to attack the strike zone and Hearn has seen a decreased role in recent games after "easing into" too many appearances.
What's working for Allard and King lies in their ability to throw strikes. While Allard throws a first-pitch strike only 54 percent of the time, he's only issued one walk thus far. Meanwhile, King's first-pitch mark is up at an impressive 67 percent. The Rangers preach heavily that throwing strikes will get you more opportunities. Giving away free passes gets you relegated to a lesser role, or even a demotion.
"The thing is [King] attacks the strike zone," Woodward said. "A three-ball count is pretty rare, because he's been lights out as far as 0-1 and attacking the strike zone early. He's right there. If it weren't for Joely [Rodríguez], he would be a seventh-eighth inning guy for sure."
Allard and King have joined Rodríguez and closer Ian Kennedy as the most reliable options out of the bullpen. Josh Sborz has also shown well, especially after a quick demotion to the alternate training site. But Woodward can't overuse younger pitchers like Allard and King. With a 14-man pitching staff, other pitchers have to step up for the bullpen to be effective.
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