Michael King should be a vital piece of Yankees bullpen

Two steps forward, one step back. It may be cliche but it's a fair descriptor for Michael King's 2022 season for the New York Yankees. King emerged as a real weapon for Aaron Boone before injury cut everything short. 

Prior to 2022, King might be described as serviceable but unspectacular. A failed starter like so many others, King has found more success working out of the Yankees bullpen and had quietly become a consistent contributor. Nothing he did was necessarily flashy, though, and with so many higher-profile options on the Yankees roster, he easily went overlooked by many outside New York. 

Last season, things were different. His first year working exclusively as a reliever brought results few expected, and King quickly was becoming one of the best relievers in the American League. Over 34 appearances, he posted a 2.29 ERA, 1.000 WHIP and a career-best 11.6 K/9. That strikeout rate marked a substantial improvement over his career to date. Boone was trusting him in higher-leverage situations. 

In one moment things changed in late July. On the mound in Baltimore, King threw a slider to Ramon Urias before immediately walking off the mound and into the clubhouse. Tests revealed a fractured elbow, a diagnosis that somehow felt like a blessing given how scary the injury looked. A follow-up examination in September confirmed he would not need to undergo Tommy John surgery. 

Now, as MLB.com's Joe Trezza notes, King has gotten back to his dominant self in spring training. Over five scoreless appearances, he's allowed just a handful of baserunners and struck out nine. Most importantly, as Boone told Trezza, King looks like himself again.

"I still think he has another gear to get to. I've certainly been pleased with how he looks and how he's throwing the ball. The stuff there. The scary part is I still there's a little room in there for him to [be better]. It has been really encouraging to see how his winter unfolded and how he's doing. It's a credit to him, how he works. Everything he does has put him in a good position."

The Yankees are going to rely on Clay Holmes, Wandy Peralta and Jonathan Loaisiga in the late innings early on. Tommy Kahnle, the lone offseason addition to address the bullpen, should be back sometime in April from right bicep tendinitis. There is a lot to like in that group, but also some uncertainty. 

King is going to find himself in that mix, and he could step up quickly if he can continue producing. He may prove to be the very weapon the Yankees need this year. 

The right-hander will turn 28 in May and will have two more years of team control after this season.