Stephen Johnson
| IP | 362 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.953 |
| WHIP | 1.367 |
| BB/9 | 4.5 |
| SO/9 | 9.149 |
- Full name Stephen Alexander Johnson
- Born 02/21/1991 in Washington, DC
- Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School St. Edward's
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Drafted in the 6th round (208th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2012 (signed for $180,000).
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The draft's best college prospect outside of NCAA Division I, Johnson had middling success in two years as a starter at Division II St. Edward's. He rocketed up draft boards when he worked as a reliever last summer for the California Collegiate League's Santa Barbara Foresters and helped them win the National Baseball Congress World Series. Johnson's fastball sat at 94-96 mph last summer and has been even better this spring, hitting 98 mph and topping out at 101 mph. He has been much more dominant coming out of the bullpen, leading D-II with 16 regular-season saves while striking out 63 in 36 innings and limiting opponents to a .131 average and two extra-base hits. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder pitches mostly off his fastball, which features some run and sink, and his hard slurve parks at 81-85 mph when it's on. Johnson has a funky arm action with a stab in the back, resulting in just decent command and perhaps limiting his realistic ceiling to set-up man rather than closer. Diagnosed with a partial elbow tear as a Colorado high school senior three years ago, Johnson eschewed surgery and hasn't had any health problems in college.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Johnson is as filthy as any reliever in the Giants system, and he rallied back from shoulder soreness to strike out 71 in 52 innings while working in a set-up role at low Class A Augusta in 2013. Widely regarded as the best college draft prospect outside NCAA Division I in 2012, Johnson is a late bloomer who didn't make his Colorado high school varsity team until his senior year. He recovered from a partially torn elbow ligament to flash 100 mph velocity while striking out 63 in 36 innings and holding opponents to a .131 average as a junior in 2011. Johnson throws a power curve that acts more like a slider and was a plus-plus pitch against South Atlantic League hitters. He isn't efficient, which limits his ability to pitch on consecutive days and might continue to be an issue because of irregular mechanics in which he stabs as he loads. Johnson and Derek Law give the Giants two power righthanders with plenty of funk, but Johnson has a long way to go to approach Law's control and consistency. Johnson could get a look as a starter, but health will play a key role in that decision. -
Widely regarded as last year's best small-college draft prospect, Johnson is a late bloomer who didn't make his Colorado high school varsity team until his senior year. He came back from a partially torn elbow ligament to post triple-digit heat as a closer while striking out 63 in 36 innings and holding opponents to a .131 average at NCAA Division II St. Edward's (Texas). He signed for $180,000 in the sixth round. In terms of pure arm strength and velocity, Johnson has few peers. He throws 94-98 mph with a fastball that tops out at 101, and he also has a hard breaking ball in the mid-80s. His mechanics are far from textbook and he stabs the ball behind his back like Rick Sutcliffe as he loads in his delivery. Consistency is his major issue, along with throwing offspeed pitches for strikes. Giants manager Bruce Bochy loves to assemble a bullpen with different looks, and some club officials see Johnson as a funky reliever with overpowering stuff who would fit in well. Others don't want to rule out trying him as a starter, even though he didn't arrive on the prospect map until he turned to relief. He's likely to begin 2013 doing a little of both, as Marlowe did, in low Class A.
Draft Prospects
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The draft's best college prospect outside of NCAA Division I, Johnson had middling success in two years as a starter at Division II St. Edward's. He rocketed up draft boards when he worked as a reliever last summer for the California Collegiate League's Santa Barbara Foresters and helped them win the National Baseball Congress World Series. Johnson's fastball sat at 94-96 mph last summer and has been even better this spring, hitting 98 mph and topping out at 101 mph. He has been much more dominant coming out of the bullpen, leading D-II with 16 regular-season saves while striking out 63 in 36 innings and limiting opponents to a .131 average and two extra-base hits. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder pitches mostly off his fastball, which features some run and sink, and his hard slurve parks at 81-85 mph when it's on. Johnson has a funky arm action with a stab in the back, resulting in just decent command and perhaps limiting his realistic ceiling to set-up man rather than closer. Diagnosed with a partial elbow tear as a Colorado high school senior three years ago, Johnson eschewed surgery and hasn't had any health problems in college.
