This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
MIAMI – Marlins reliever John King is a self-described late bloomer.
Growing up, the left-handed King didn’t have the velocity but could be relied upon to consistently throw strikes. That hasn’t changed for the ground-ball machine, who signed with Miami at the beginning of Spring Training seeking a bounceback campaign.
What better way for fans to get to know the newcomers both on and off the field than through a fun Q&A? In this installment, we catch up with King about what baseball means to him and learning songs on the saxophone via YouTube tutorials.
MLB.com: What would you be doing if not baseball?
King: Probably coaching. But I'll give you a fun answer: I used to play the saxophone, so maybe I’d have a career in that.
MLB.com: When did you start playing that?
King: I was on the IL for a while in 2021 with thoracic outlet syndrome, so I like, picked it up and just started playing a little bit.
MLB.com: How does one pick up playing the saxophone?
King: I wanted to do guitar, but it was too expensive. I found a used saxophone for like, a couple hundred bucks. I was living alone. I wasn't allowed to travel, so I just wanted to pick something up. So I just messed around with it.
MLB.com: What kind of songs were you playing?
King: Super basic ones. And then once I started playing [baseball] again the next year, I got too busy where I never stuck with it. I still have it, though.
MLB.com: Do you think you’d be able to pick it right back up?
King: In 2024, we had a talent show with St Louis. I played it there. (Note: He finished third in the competition.)
MLB.com: What song did you play?
King: It was "Hot Cross Buns." Something super easy because I had to relearn.
MLB.com: Is this something you could bring back if the boys went on a run?
King: Maybe. We’ll see.
MLB.com: What was it like having Tommy John surgery so early in your career?
King: I blew out in college, and then Texas drafted me, and I got it like the day after I got drafted pretty much.
MLB.com: How uncertain was your future?
King: It was weird. I didn't think I'd get drafted, especially the second day, and then, I don't know. I didn't really have any expectations, honestly, because it was a weird feeling. I just got drafted, and I had to sit out 14 months. It was weird, but I spent a lot of time in Surprise, Ariz. [at the Rangers’ facility there]. I gained a lot of velocity then. It was probably the best thing that happened in my career.
MLB.com: Why baseball?
King: I love it. It's fun. I've been playing it my whole life. I love that it teaches you a lot about yourself, like how to be a great teammate, how to be humble, how to deal with adversity. Life lessons that you can take away from it.