Johnny King is the youngest player in the Northwest League at 19 years old, and he won’t turn 20 until July. But his youth has hardly stopped the lefty from absolutely dominating the competition across his first seven starts.
King, the Blue Jays’ No. 4 prospect, recorded five more scoreless innings on Wednesday in a 3-0 loss for High-A Vancouver against Everett at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium. King lowered his ERA to 0.81 in his longest outing of the season -- tied for the longest of his career. He struck out eight and walked just one in the process.
King scattered three hits in the outing: a single in the first, a double in the third and a ground-rule double in the fourth. He faced his only real trouble in the fourth, issuing a leadoff walk before the double put runners on second and third with only one out. King buckled down for a strikeout and popout to end the threat.
COMPLETE BLUE JAYS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Toronto’s 2024 third-round pick has now allowed one or zero runs in all of his outings this season. He continues to ramp up his pitch count, throwing a season-high 69 pitches with 48 strikes on Wednesday.
Beyond the impressive ERA, King’s stats are gaudy thus far in 2026. He owns a 1.07 WHIP with opponents hitting just .130 against him. That pairs with the fact that he’s yet to allow a home run on a 35.9% strikeout rate.