Michael King made another leap as a starter on Wednesday night, quieting a Blue Jays lineup battling for a playoff spot while matching Toronto ace Kevin Gausman through seven innings.
King now holds an ERA of just 1.27 in six starts since joining the rotation, and C-Mac says the righty has become a major bright spot in an otherwise meaningless stretch of baseball for the Yankees.
“He has been unbelievable. He has been the best pitcher in baseball since they made that move,” C-Mac said. “Last night, he went seven innings, five hits, one run, 13 strikeouts, and no walks.
“He has been dynamic, and has been trying to crack the starting rotation for a long time. But they deemed him more valuable in the bullpen, and they weren’t sure if he can recover. For me, he’s starting to make more sense as a starter, because he couldn’t pitch enough to be a back-end-of-the-bullpen guy.”
The top of the rotation is set for next year with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, while Nestor Cortes will look to bounce back from an injury riddled season. If King could be an effective starter as well, with Clarke Schmidt serving as a serviceable No. 5, C-Mac says the Yankee rotation could be in business.
“This rotation could use a starting pitcher,” C-Mac said. “If they can find themselves to get King, who has been dynamic, he isn’t someone who can just make it work as a starting pitcher, he’s as good as there’s been.
“They might have found themselves a guy you can feel good about at the top of the rotation. That’s how good he’s been.”