Johnny King cementing himself as the top pitching prospect in the Blue Jays' system

Johnny King is starting the 2026 season strongly for the Vancouver Canadians at High-A. He allowed one run over five innings with five strikeouts against the Spokane Indians, marking his eighth consecutive start allowing one run or fewer. During the streak, opponents are hitting .147 against him. In his prior outing, he held the Everett AquaSox scoreless for five innings and struck out eight. The 19-year-old appears fully stretched out after a gradual April buildup. The Blue Jays drafted him 95th overall in 2024, and he is now the organization’s top minor league pitching prospect. His 2025 performance included dominance in the Florida Complex League and a 3.35 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 37.2 innings at Single-A. His main concern remains command, including walks in multiple starts.

"King's command remains a work in progress, however, as he walked three batters in that most recent outing against Spokane. It was the third time he's reached that mark in his eight starts in 2026, despite how infrequently he's been scored against. He also walked a staggering 30 batters in those innings at High-A last year."

Read at Jays Journal