Toronto Blue Jays select Miami LHP commit Johnny King in 2024 MLB Draft
Miami Hurricanes commit left-handed pitcher Johnny King might be on his way to the pros. King was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2024 MLB Draft. He was taken with the No. 95 overall pick. Now, the Hurricanes prospect will have to decide whether to play next season in the pros or at the collegiate level.
Although he was drafted as a left-handed pitcher, King has experience both in the infield and outfield. In the outfield, he can line up at left, right, and center. And in the infield, he can be a quality first baseman.
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King popped up on almost everyone’s radar back in 2023. At that time, the Naples, FL native was the only Southwest Florida high school player to receive an invite to the 2023 Prospect Development Pipeline, an event hosted by USA Baseball in collaboration with the MLB. While participating in the event, King showed off his arm strength and movement on his pitches.
What experts are saying about King
King entered the 2024 MLB Draft as the No. 124 prospect, according to MLB.com. Both pro and collegiate scouts are enamored with his size, as he stands at six-foot-three and weighs 210 lbs. And his stuff on the mound is definitely considered worthy of selection in this year’s draft.
“As baseball has raced into the analytics era, one thing that makes a team’s Draft model very happy is a young Draft-eligible player,” says MLB.com. “When that player is a left-handed pitcher with potential plus stuff, that’s even better. King, who was generating a lot of buzz as the spring progressed in Naples, Florida, ticks off a lot of those boxes as a southpaw with electric offerings who will still be just 17 years old when the Draft rolls around.”
“King is tall and athletic with an NFL quarterback kind of build. The 6-foot-4 southpaw could eventually have three plus pitches in his arsenal. He already can miss bats with a lively fastball that sits in the low 90s and will touch 94-95 mph regularly, and it’s easy to envision him throwing harder given his frame and already upward trajectory. He combines it with what is often a nasty high-spin power curve thrown typically in the upper 70s that can be a true out pitch. He will use a harder slurve to finish off left-handed hitters, and while his changeup is developing, he shows feel for it and throws it with excellent arm speed.”
“A terrific athlete who is the best hitter on his team and could be a position player prospect if he focused on that, King does have a lot of energy and effort in his delivery, and not all scouts like his arm action. That can impact his command, though many scouts think the Miami recruit will be able to find a repeatable delivery and throw enough strikes at the next level, with a ceiling as a mid-rotation starter.”