Michael McRae King Bio
Michael McRae King, born on May 25, 1995, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed pitcher who came up through the Yankees system, King made his MLB debut in 2019 and has built a reputation as a versatile arm capable of working in relief or as a starter. He previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees before being traded to San Diego in December 2023.
Early Life and Background
Michael McRae King grew up in Rhode Island and attended Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, where he played for the school’s baseball team as both a pitcher and an outfielder. He helped the team win the Division I state championship in 2012, during his junior year, establishing himself as one of the top amateur players in the state. The following season, in 2013, he was named the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for Rhode Island after posting a 7–0 win–loss record and a 0.30 earned run average with 67 strikeouts and seven walks across 47 innings pitched, while also batting .469 as an outfielder.
After graduating from Bishop Hendricken in 2013, King enrolled at Boston College, where he played college baseball for the Boston College Eagles. In 2015, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod Baseball League, gaining valuable experience against high-level competition during his college development. That summer circuit helped showcase his arm to professional scouts ahead of the upcoming draft.
Path to Professional Baseball
The Miami Marlins selected King in the 12th round, with the 353rd overall pick, of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the organization and made his professional debut that season with the Gulf Coast Marlins of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, before being promoted to the Batavia Muckdogs of the Low–A New York-Penn League and then to the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the Single–A South Atlantic League. In 30⅔ innings pitched across the three teams, he finished the year with a 3–3 record and a 4.11 ERA.
King spent the entire 2017 season with Greensboro, where he went 11–9 with a 3.14 ERA in 26 games, 25 of which were starts, showing the durability and consistency that would later define his professional trajectory. On November 20, 2017, the Marlins traded King and international signing bonus money to the New York Yankees in exchange for Caleb Smith and Garrett Cooper, redirecting his career path toward the American League’s most storied franchise.
Michael McRae King Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
King began the 2018 season with the Tampa Tarpons of the High–A Florida State League and earned midseason promotions to the Trenton Thunder of the Double–A Eastern League and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of the Triple–A International League. The Yankees invited him to spring training as a non-roster player in 2019, though a stress reaction in his pitching elbow kept him off the mound during camp. The Yankees promoted him to the major leagues on September 19, and he made his MLB debut on September 27 versus the Texas Rangers, pitching two innings in relief.
That first taste of the majors confirmed King’s ability to handle big-league hitters, setting the stage for his first full major league campaign the following season. He spent the rest of 2019 working out of the Yankees bullpen while continuing to refine his slider and fastball combination under the organization’s pitching development staff.
New York Yankees Tenure (2020–2023)
In the shortened 60-game 2020 season, King recorded a 7.76 ERA in 26⅔ innings pitched across nine appearances, including four games started, as he adjusted to a full major league workload. Over the course of the 2021 season, King improved his slider with the assistance of teammate Corey Kluber, and the work paid off in dramatic fashion on June 4, 2021, when he pitched an immaculate inning in the fourth inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox, striking out three batters on only nine pitches. That outing marked the seventh immaculate inning in Yankees history and the first in the history of the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry.
King finished 2021 with a 3.55 ERA in 63⅓ innings, recording 62 strikeouts and 24 walks, before a right middle finger contusion landed him on the injured list in July. He opened the 2022 season in the Yankees bullpen and earned his first major league save on April 14, 2022, but a fractured right elbow suffered against the Baltimore Orioles on July 22 ended his season. In spring training in 2023, King suggested to manager Aaron Boone that he could be used as a starting pitcher, and injuries to Yankees starters led to King becoming a starter in August. He posted a 2.75 ERA in 49 appearances, with a 1.88 ERA across eight starts, and Boone indicated the team expected him to remain in the starting rotation.
San Diego Padres Era (2024–Present)
On December 6, 2023, the Yankees traded King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vásquez, Jhony Brito, and Kyle Higashioka to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Juan Soto and Trent Grisham. King made 31 appearances, including 30 starts, for San Diego during the 2024 campaign, compiling a 13–9 record and a 2.95 ERA with 201 strikeouts across 173⅔ innings pitched, fully transitioning into a frontline starter role.
On April 13, 2025, King pitched a complete-game shutout against the Colorado Rockies, the first complete game and the first complete-game shutout of his career, throwing 110 pitches with eight strikeouts while allowing two hits and a walk. The victory extended the Padres’ franchise record of home wins to open a season to 10. On May 25, King was placed on the injured list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder and was later transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 7. After returning, he was placed back on the injured list in August due to inflammation in his left knee before being activated again roughly one month later. Following the season, he declined the mutual option in his contract and became a free agent. On December 18, 2025, King re-signed with the Padres on a three-year, $75 million contract, locking in his place at the top of the San Diego rotation through 2028.
Notable Events and Milestones
King’s most memorable single moment came on June 4, 2021, when he delivered the first immaculate inning in the history of the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry. His first career complete-game shutout on April 13, 2025, against the Colorado Rockies stands as another signature milestone, while his emergence as a reliable 30-game starter in 2024 cemented his status as a frontline major league pitcher.
Michael McRae King Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Public details about Michael McRae King’s family background are limited, and the available verified information does not include specific names or occupations for his parents. He grew up in Rhode Island and has kept much of his personal and family life outside the spotlight throughout his professional career.
2025 Season Performance
King opened the 2025 season with a signature performance, throwing his first career complete-game shutout against the Colorado Rockies on April 13 and helping the Padres set a new franchise record with 10 home wins to begin a campaign. Shoulder inflammation sent him to the injured list on May 25, and he was transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 7, limiting his availability during the middle stretch of the year.
After a brief return, inflammation in his left knee landed him back on the injured list in mid-August before he was activated again approximately one month later. Despite the injury interruptions, King remained a central piece of the Padres’ rotation, and on December 18, 2025, he re-signed with San Diego on a three-year, $75 million contract that runs through 2028, underscoring the organization’s belief in his long-term role.