Dan Johnson Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1382
AVG	.234
OBP	.335
SLG	.405
HR	57

Full name Daniel Ryan Johnson
Born 08/10/1979 in Coon Rapids, MN
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Nebraska
Debut 05/27/2005
Drafted in the 7th round (221st overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2001.

View Draft Report

Johnson, a senior, set a school record with 24 homers and a Big 12 Conference mark with five longballs in the league tournament. He has tape-measure power from the left side, his lone tool, and he struggles against southpaws.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

A late bloomer at Nebraska, Johnson has produced consistently as a pro. His 225 RBIs in 2003-04 top all minor leaguers, and he tied for the system lead in homers while winning the regular-season and playoff MVP awards in the Pacific Coast League. He hit .468 in seven postseason games as Sacramento won its second straight championship. Oakland called him up afterward, but Johnson came down with a case of vertigo that kept him from making his big league debut. He recovered in time to have a productive winter in the Mexican Pacific League. Johnson has power to all fields and a solid understanding of the strike zone. He makes consistent contact for a power hitter and mashes mistakes. He has worked hard to improve at first, and even put in time in left field late in the year, but he'll never be more than an adequate first baseman. He's lumbering on the basepaths. Oakland decided to bring both Scott Hatteberg and Erubiel Durazo back for 2005, so Johnson will have to be content with a reserve role at the start of the season.
Undrafted out of high school and junior college, Johnson became a star at the University of Nebraska. He set school records for homers in a game (three) and season (25) and has continued to mash as a pro. He led the Double-A Texas League in homers, RBIs and total bases (271) last year. Power and patience are the organization's watchwords, and Johnson has both in abundance. He's a great fastball hitter with power to all fields and outstanding plate discipline for a slugger. After making major adjustments to shorten his stroke, he makes consistent, hard contact. Johnson is big and slow, limited to first base and DH. Though he has worked hard on his defense, he's only adequate. Some scouts remain skeptical whether his power will translate to the majors. The A's will send Johnson to Triple-A to see if he can continue producing as he has. If he does, he could be an upgrade for them at first base after they got just 16 homers and a .399 slugging percentage out of the position in 2003.
Johnson was big and strong to begin with, and he devoted himself to the A's offseason conditioning program after he was drafted in 2001. He reported to spring training in great shape last year, setting the stage for an eye-opening season. He was tremendous down the stretch, hitting .374-12-38 in his final 33 games. Johnson continued to make adjustments during instructional league, closing a hole in his swing. He doesn't move well on defense and is a below-average first baseman. He's limited to first base or DH, and he'll have to generate plenty of power in order to advance. He did that during his two seasons at Nebraska, where he set school records for homers in a game (three) and season (25) while narrowly missing the career mark (two shy at 46). Johnson has a tendency to put extreme pressure on himself, and he must learn to deal with the rigors of the long season. He's ticketed for Double-A this year.

Minor League Top Prospects

Of the eight drafted players on this Top 10, Johnson is the only one who didn't go in the first round. As a seventh-rounder, he has had to earn respect while climbing through the minors one level at a time. He has done exactly that, winning PCL MVP honors in 2004 and sparking the A's offense when promoted in late May. Johnson centers pitches with a sound swing, drilling hard line drives to all fields. He sees the ball very well and could become a .300 hitter with 20 homers annually. He has worked hard to clean up his body and his defense, and he's at least adequate with the glove.
Johnson's 225 RBIs over the last two seasons are more than any minor leaguer, and he captured the PCL MVP award after driving in 111 this year. He also was the top hitter in the playoffs, batting .468 as the RiverCats won their second straight title. He's similar to Oakland DH Erubiel Durazo and may take his job in 2005. Both are big guys who hit for average, get on base and post respectable but not outstanding home run totals. Johnson can hit quality fastballs and batted .302 against lefthanders in 2004, though just one of his 29 homers came against them. Unlike Durazo and to his advantage, Johnson isn't clumsy and can play a position. He's not the smoothest of first basemen, but he has worked very hard to get himself into better shape and become an adequate fielder.
Though other Midland players were more hyped, including 2002 first-round picks Jeremy Brown and Nick Swisher, it was Johnson who left the biggest impression on managers. He led the TL with 27 home runs and 271 total bases, and his slugging percentage topped .500 for the second straight season. Johnson offers above-average power and is more than an all-or-nothing slugger, walking nearly as much as he struck out. At least one manager called him the league's best pure hitter. While Johnson is regarded as a below-average defender at first base, managers said he was not a butcher and should be able to handle the position. "He struggles some against lefthanders and he struggles against breaking stuff," Bodie said, "but when he hits it he really gets a hold of it."