Blue Jays lefty prospect has picked up where he left off last season

To kickoff 2026, the Toronto Blue Jays’ farm system has been on a tear. From Sean Keys posting a 1.682 OPS to JoJo Parker lighting it up with the Dunedin Blue Jays, the organization’s depth has taken a clear step forward compared to a few years ago. Now, Johnny King enters the equation as the latest prospect looking to further bolster the system.

In terms of the pitching prospects in the system, Trey Yesavage, Gage Stanifer, and Khal Stephen, who was traded to the Cleveland Guardians for Shane Bieber, have been recent examples of exceptional development in the farm system. King, who is starting the year in High-A Vancouver after making his pro debut last season, will look to continue the positive development on the pitching front.

The Blue Jays selected the 6-foot-4 southpaw out of high school in the third round of the 2024 Draft when he was just 17, then signed him to an above-slot deal at $1,247,500. Between the Florida Complex League and Single-A Dunedin in his 2025 campaign, he struck out a ridiculous 105 batters over 61 2/3 innings, good for a 15.32 K/9, a rate that he's exceeded during the early goings of this year.

Johnny King far from polished, but is hitting the right targets

Although his fastball can touch 96 mph, a promising sign so early, he's battled command issues in his young career thus far. Luckily for him, his ability to miss bats undermined his 5.4 BB/9 last year. His curveball is his best secondary pitch at this point, and it often drops down in the 78-81 mph range. Back in the complex and Low-A, hitters were baffled by it as it induced a 50% whiff rate.

His slider, which he doesn't show hitters that often, is harder than his curve, coming in at 81-84 MPH. The pitch generated almost a 40% whiff rate, and he's shown the ability to offer it to both righties and lefties. He also throws a changeup, which is another area of development that would help raise his ceiling even more.

Across three starts thus far in 2026, the 4th-ranked Blue Jays prospect has pitched to a 1.23 ERA with 15 Ks to five walks in 7.1 innings. In his most recent start, and his most explosive yet, he went 3 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit and no earned runs while striking out seven in the process. Across his last two outings, he’s issued three walks, but they haven’t led to any runs, thanks in part to generating 17 whiffs over that stretch.

The Blue Jays will continue to take things slow, as the command issues must still be ironed out. That being said, there’s a real shot that he is promoted by the end of the year, dipping his toes in Double-A New Hampshire. Still just 19 years of age, he will have a significant runway to continue developing as a pitcher, with a focus on command.

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