Meditating on King: Could the Rangers call on this bullpen asset to aid their faltering rotation?

HOUSTON — The mind of John King sometimes wandered when he was on the mound. He’d lose focus or get caught up in the moment — the situation that sometimes sticky.

The difference this season for the Rangers star reliever has been meditation. It’s an activity he does off the mound. He’ll inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds and exhale for another four seconds. It’s the concept of focusing on breathing that he’s taken him with him to the bump.

“On the mound, bases loaded, OK,” King said. “I just go to my breath. It helps calm me down, rather than thinking about ‘what can happen here.’ It’s just something that’s clicked.”

In his first full season in a major league bullpen, the lefty has a 1.80 ERA in 14 games. In 20 innings, he’s struck out 16 and walked just three batters.

The Rangers are looking for a possible spot starter on Wednesday. It’s unlikely that King will start because, as manager Chris Woodward said, he’s just too valuable in the bullpen right now.

But King has been a starter throughout his minor league career, and his strong performance thus far reinforces the belief that starting is in his long-term plans.

“King definitely falls in that category. He’s pitched so well in really [high-] leverage spots, that it’s hard to take him out of that spot. He’s one guy that I trust against righty or lefty.

“If something else pops up or that spot becomes completely open for some reason, it is something we’d definitely consider.”

The Rangers starting pitching as a whole is starting to show some holes. The normally reliable Dane Dunning allowed four runs in the first inning on Saturday. He lasted four innings. Houston topped the Rangers 6-5.

Wes Benjamin lasted just five outs in his spot start on Friday, and was subsequently optioned. Kohei Arihara remains on the injured list with a finger issue. But even his return will bring some fair skepticism, given that his previous three starts lasted just a combined 81/3 innings, with 16 runs allowed.

And then there is Jordan Lyles, who has a 6.63 ERA so far this season. Woodward acknowledged that if his last start hadn’t gone somewhat decently, there would have been discussions about him not making his next start.

All of that is to say that the rotation — which was reliable throughout the first month — isn’t a model of stability at the moment.

King isn’t the only longtime starter in the bullpen. Woodward said the organization still views relievers Kolby Allard and Taylor Hearn as starters at some point.

“We want all those guys to believe they’re going to be solutions for us in the starting rotation,” Woodward said.

King has been the best of those. Outside of closer Ian Kennedy, he’s been just about the most reliable reliever. He’s nimble, too — often able to pitch multiple innings, likely because of that starter background.

He’s done it all with hardly any minor league experience. King was called up late in 2020 — having only pitched as high as Class A-Advanced. He pitched six games out of the Rangers bullpen last year to the tune of a 6.97 ERA.

What he’s done in 2021 has come almost out of nowhere. Part of that is the meditation. Part of it is that he moved to the third base side of the mound.

Regardless of the reasons or the methods, it’s working. As King shows his prowess in the bullpen, he’s also building his value as a potential future starter.

“The confidence has been growing,” King said. “I just try to go out there every time and compete and get more comfortable with everything.”

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