Cooper Johnson

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #26 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Johnson never hit much in college at Mississippi, but his defense behind the plate was so outstanding, the Tigers still drafted him in the sixth round in 2019. He began his career at short-season Connecticut and held his own before he was promoted to low Class A West Michigan, where he was overwhelmed by more advanced pitchers. After the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season, Johnson got back on the field at instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Johnson is everything teams want behind the plate from a defensive standpoint. He's an excellent receiver and blocker, he runs a pitching staff expertly and his plus-plus arm shuts down running games. Johnson's ability to hit at the higher levels is questionable, at best. He is fair at managing the strike zone and he has some barrel control, but he struggles to read offspeed pitches and has a long swing that leads to lots of strikeouts. He doesn't impact the ball and thus has little projectable power.
  
  THE FUTURE: Johnson's defense gives him an outside chance of reaching the majors as a backup, but his bat will have to make significant improvements for him to even reach that. He'll head back to the Class A level in 2021.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #108 prospect in 2019 draft
  If Johnson can just hit .230 in pro ball, he'll play for a very long time. And even if he hits .210 he still might be a future big leaguer, simply because scouts are that confident in Johnson's excellent glove work behind the plate. Johnson is one of the best receivers in college baseball. He handles a pitching staff extremely well, and his plus-plus arm discourages base stealers--he threw out 45 percent of attempted basestealers this year. However, there's much less confidence he'll actually hit .230. Johnson can drive the ball with average power, but he struggles to make consistent contact. He's never topped .300 in a season in college, and he hit .145 in two summers in the Cape Cod League. Johnson has hit better this year after tweaking his setup, and he now begins with a very high handset. His swing has some length to it, further adding to concerns about how much he'll hit. Most evaluators see Johnson as a future backup catcher because of his light bat, but it's easy to find scouts who are confident he'll play in the majors because of his defense.
• Ranked #76 prospect in 2016 draft
  The high school catcher with great defensive skills and a less-advanced bat is a profile that once again could get a player taken in the first round. Nowadays teams are less willing to take a risk on the bat to get a great glove early in the draft, but Johnson's excellent receiving should still allow him to hear his name called before too long. Johnson is an excellent receiver with flexibility and athleticism. He collaborates well with pitchers and has a plus arm (1.85-1.9 pop times) with accuracy to shut down running games. But the bat has a lot further to go as Johnson's approach at the plate needs to improve. His swing lacks fluidity, although he does have the strength and bat speed to drive the ball over the fence sporadically. Most likely he ends up with a backup catcher's profile as a great glove with a below-average bat and fringe-average power. Johnson will head to Ole Miss if he doesn't sign.

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Johnson never hit much in college at Mississippi, but his defense behind the plate was so outstanding, the Tigers still drafted him in the sixth round in 2019. He began his career at short-season Connecticut and held his own before he was promoted to low Class A West Michigan, where he was overwhelmed by more advanced pitchers. After the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season, Johnson got back on the field at instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Johnson is everything teams want behind the plate from a defensive standpoint. He's an excellent receiver and blocker, he runs a pitching staff expertly and his plus-plus arm shuts down running games. Johnson's ability to hit at the higher levels is questionable, at best. He is fair at managing the strike zone and he has some barrel control, but he struggles to read offspeed pitches and has a long swing that leads to lots of strikeouts. He doesn't impact the ball and thus has little projectable power.
  
  THE FUTURE: Johnson's defense gives him an outside chance of reaching the majors as a backup, but his bat will have to make significant improvements for him to even reach that. He'll head back to the Class A level in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Johnson never hit much in college at Mississippi, but his defense behind the plate was so outstanding, the Tigers still drafted him in the sixth round in 2019. He began his career at short-season Connecticut and held his own before he was promoted to low Class A West Michigan, where he was overwhelmed by more advanced pitchers. After the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season, Johnson got back on the field at instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Johnson is everything teams want behind the plate from a defensive standpoint. He's an excellent receiver and blocker, he runs a pitching staff expertly and his plus-plus arm shuts down running games. Johnson's ability to hit at the higher levels is questionable, at best. He is fair at managing the strike zone and he has some barrel control, but he struggles to read offspeed pitches and has a long swing that leads to lots of strikeouts. He doesn't impact the ball and thus has little projectable power.
  
  THE FUTURE: Johnson's defense gives him an outside chance of reaching the majors as a backup, but his bat will have to make significant improvements for him to even reach that. He'll head back to the Class A level in 2021.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  If Johnson can just hit .230 in pro ball, he'll play for a very long time. And even if he hits .210 he still might be a future big leaguer, simply because scouts are that confident in Johnson's excellent glove work behind the plate. Johnson is one of the best receivers in college baseball. He handles a pitching staff extremely well, and his plus-plus arm discourages base stealers--he threw out 45 percent of attempted basestealers this year. However, there's much less confidence he'll actually hit .230. Johnson can drive the ball with average power, but he struggles to make consistent contact. He's never topped .300 in a season in college, and he hit .145 in two summers in the Cape Cod League. Johnson has hit better this year after tweaking his setup, and he now begins with a very high handset. His swing has some length to it, further adding to concerns about how much he'll hit. Most evaluators see Johnson as a future backup catcher because of his light bat, but it's easy to find scouts who are confident he'll play in the majors because of his defense.