Michael King's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the San Diego Padres and right-handed pitcher Michael King did not come to an agreement prior to the deadline. As a result, they will now exchange arbitration figures. King performed very well in his first season as a full-time starter. Despite his slow start in April, the right-hander posted a 2.95 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP across a career-high 173 2/3 innings. He struck out batters at a strong 27.7% rate and generated hard contact at an elite 30.3% clip. He also generated an above-average 3.59 xERA and a .226 xBA. Fantasy managers should expect King to continue to have a role in the starting rotation in 2025. Given his impressive second half, where he posted a strong 2.15 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, fantasy managers should view King as a high-upside SP2 in all formats.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King will likely start Game 3 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Padres manager Mike Schildt said that after Dylan Cease starts Game 1, Yu Darvish will likely go in Game 2, and King will go "soon thereafter," insinuating a Game 3 start for the righty. King was dominant in his first postseason start, striking out 12 batters in seven innings of shutout ball against the Atlanta Braves. King has been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde type pitcher against the Dodgers this season. He's faced them four times, and in two of those he's been dominant (12 innings of shutout ball), and in the other two he's been crushed (10 runs, seven earned in just over eight innings pitched). The good news for Padres fans is the two blowups happened early in the season, with one being a long-relief appearance in South Korea. King may be a risky DFS play in his start, as current Dodgers have hit him for a .326 wOBA and a .366 xwOBA. Those willing to take a risk on him in DFS should know there's likely a bit of volatility in this matchup.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King was locked in for Tuesday's wild-card Game 1 4-0 win over the Braves. King pitched seven innings, allowing five hits and no walks with 12 strikeouts. The 29-year-old's performance made him just the third pitcher ever to record at least 10 strikeouts with no walks in his first postseason start. King had a great first season with the Padres, going 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and a 27.7% strikeout rate. He should be a fantasy target in 2025, and his stock could jump even higher if he gets more post-season opportunities to impress.