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Bryan King Finding Success for Astros Excelling at Making Batters Uncomfortable

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Houston Astros are fighting for their playoff lives in the final week of the regular season after being swept by the Seattle Mariners.

They are now three games behind in the American League West, with their reign atop the division looking like it will be over. Their playoff streak is also in danger, currently in a tie with the Cleveland Guardians for the final wild card spot but behind on the tiebreaker.

If the Astros are going to make one last push to qualify for the postseason, they will need all hands on deck. Overcoming injuries has been a theme this year, with so many key contributors being sidelined.

It has left manager Joe Espada with his hands tied at times. There are only so many moves to be made when players are constantly going down with injuries. The entire roster has experienced significant losses.

Bryan King Has Emerged for Astros Bullpen

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In the bullpen, closer Josh Hader landed on the injured list for the first time in his career. Other players have had to step up in his absence. One hurler whom Espada has been able to consistently count on is Bryan King.

He has been elevated to a setup role with Bryan Abreu taking over as the team’s closer in Hader’s spot. A minor league Rule 5 Draft Pick from the Chicago Cubs in 2024, King has cemented his status as a core member of the bullpen.

His production has been outstanding with Houston. He has made 94 appearances with a 2.43 ERA across 92.2 innings pitched. 101 strikeouts have been recorded compared to only 21 walks. The improvement he has made in his walk rate in 2025 compared to 2024 has been impressive.

It is a big reason why he has been able to sustain his level of success. That, and he makes opposing batters incredibly uncomfortable in the box during at-bats. As shared by Mike Petriello of MLB.com, King has some elite metrics in unique statistics.

Bryan King Excels at Inducing Soft Swings

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“Among those with 400 swings against, it’s nice to see that Chris Sale is second, and Vesia shows up in the top 10 as well. King is fourth, and he allows the third-shortest swing length, too – behind Tim Hill and Jhoan Duran. It cannot be a comfortable at-bat, is what this is saying,” he wrote.

His strikeout rate dropping normally isn’t ideal for a relief pitcher. But, when they possess pinpoint control and limit damage as effectively as King does, striking out a few fewer batters is acceptable.