Former WVU baseball player Skylar King was one of the best defensive outfielders in the Big 12 last season, and maybe even in the country. When he was drafted in the 15th round by the Boston Red Sox, the Red Sox were confident that they were at least going to get both speed and defensive prowess from King.
In a recent game at the Class A level with the Salem Red Sox, King was finally able to put both on display while making a terrific grab in the outfield. With a runner at second base and no outs, King chased down a deep hit to right field and gambled with a diving attempt to snag the ball in the air to record an out. If he had not made the catch, it's likely the opponent's baserunner on second would have easily scored, and the batter would have recorded a double,Instead, with an outfielder like King, it's less of a gamble and more of an opportunity to go and make the play. And that is exactly what King did: make the play. The baserunner at second did move up to third on the diving catch, but King recorded an important out number one.
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Skylar King! #YourValleyYourSox #StartsInSalem pic.twitter.com/bfOpzddIDI
— The Salem Red Sox (@salemredsox) August 17, 2025
King is showing the Red Sox organization his value with his glove and speed
The old phrase “you can’t teach speed” has to be repeated or said about King so many times that he has to have gotten tired of hearing it. But it does hold a lot of truth for the young outfielder. King can impact the game on the defensive side of the ball like few others do, similar to another great defensive outfielder that played for WVU in current St. Louis Cardinals standout Victor Scott II. The Red Sox likely expect King will be an average batter in their lineup, but they are probably confident that he can play a great outfield and rack up WAR in the field.
In his last year as a Mountaineer, however, King also showed a flash of the kind of hitter he can be. King posted a .291/.375/.394 slash line with a good amount of his at-bats coming from the leadoff spot in the lineup. He also added nine doubles, three home runs, 32 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases in 59 games during the 2025 season. King showed at times that he does have some pop in his bat that could be developed with a major league hitting coach.
His elite diving catch came just over a couple of weeks after he recorded his first professional hit on August 2. King’s slash line reads .263/.364/.263 with a couple of stolen bases and three runs driven in through 11 games at the Single-A level.
King will look to finish the season strong and make a case for being promoted to High-A to begin the 2026 season. WVU fans are rooting for King to find some momentum and start to climb up the Red Sox organization.