King's East Coast reunion kicks off in NY

This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat newsletter. Reporter Matthew Ritchie pitched in with coverage while the club played the Mets in New York this past weekend. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NEW YORK -- There’s certainly one overlooked aspect of Michael King's life that’s become a tad smoother since he’s moved to San Diego: Getting tickets for his loved ones to come watch him play.

“I think it’s actually easier being in San Diego and then coming here, because it’s like, one game that everyone wants to come to,” King said. “When I was with New York, it was random; where it’d be that day, four people would want to come. Then two days later, another four. Out in San Diego, it’s just my wife, then if we have visitors, I know they’re going to be there. It’s not an everyday thing.”

It makes sense: King, who went to high school in Rhode Island and attended Boston College, has connections all over the East Coast. And aside from being born in Rochester, N.Y., the 29-year-old had pitched for the Yankees from 2019-23 until he was shipped to San Diego, headlining New York’s package for acquiring Juan Soto.

Before the news dropped, King had already become a fan favorite in the Bronx after a stellar 2023 campaign out of the bullpen in which he racked up 127 strikeouts and allowed just 32 free passes with a 2.75 ERA (104 2/3 innings). When the blockbuster deal was announced, King and his fiancée, Sheila, were in the midst of planning their wedding at the Pierre Hotel located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. King and his family had grown real roots in the city, connections that truly mattered to him.

One can only imagine how it felt for the right-hander to return to a place he called home when the Padres squared off with the Mets this past weekend.

“It was great to have an off-day here, because we were able to see some friends, go to some old favorite restaurants,” King said. “The New York energy’s unmatched. … It’s almost fun to just be in close proximity to friends and family. I know my mom said, ‘I’m just happy that you’re even near me!’ Because I went so far away. But yeah, always a great time.”

That affection for the East Coast hasn’t stopped King from settling into San Diego, both on and off the field. Through his first three starts of June, he is 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA, steadily lowering his season ERA to 3.58 after a rough stretch at the beginning of the year. While King is walking batters at a higher rate than he’s used to, the avenues for continued success are present. He’s producing the lowest average exit velocity (85.9 mph) and hard-hit rate (31.4) of his career -- both marks rank in the 89th percentile or higher among qualified pitchers.

And after a brilliant 12-strikeout performance Wednesday against the A’s, King is slated to square off with the Phillies on Tuesday -- a matchup that he’s relishing for a couple of reasons.

“I’ve actually never pitched in Philly,” King said. “... That’ll be a fun one to check off. And yeah, they’re probably the best team in the NL, at least record wise. So that’ll be a fun challenge. And I think I have close to 30 tickets that I’m leaving for that game, so it’ll be fun to know that among all the crazy Phillies fans, I’ll have a couple rooting for me.”

King has jelled with the Padres from the outset, citing the love that he’s received makes it feel he’s with a bunch of “built-in family members” as soon as he gets to Petco Park or on the team bus. But it’s a special brand of love and care off the field that’s also helped San Diego feel less like a new city, and more like somewhere that he can call a true home.

“I’m actually very appreciative of my wife,” King said. “And I don’t know, if I was a single guy ... I’d probably feel pretty lonely when I get to a new city. For me, the locker room is the same everywhere you go.

“... Off the field is where it gets different. And that’s where my wife comes in. So I’m appreciative of her because she made it an easy transition.”