Player: Tyler Johnson
Position: RHP
Height: 6’3 Weight: 210 Age: 25 Bats/Throws: R/R Current Level: AAA Charlotte
MLB.com Rank: 18th in White Sox System
Drafted: 2017 (Round 5, 147th overall by White Sox)
Hometown: Richmond, VA
College: South Carolina
The White Sox drafted Tyler Johnson in the 5th round back in 2017. He likely dropped to the 5th round due to a sore arm that kept him sidelined for part of his final season at South Carolina. He was the closer for the Gamecocks; racking up 19 saves over the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Opponents hit just .187 and .204 against him in those years.
Over his first three years of pro-ball, Johnson put up some really impressive numbers with a 2.27 ERA, .197 opponent batting average and 169 strikeouts in 115 innings. In the fall of 2019, Johnson struggled with his control at the Arizona Fall League. Without a minor league season in 2020, it’s difficult to know if he’s fixed any of those control issues yet. He spent the 2020 season at the White Sox alternate site.
Scouting Report
Johnson is athletic, but scout’s have been very critical of his delivery. He has a sort of weird abrupt stride which forces him to throw across his bodies. That naturally creates some injury concern, but it also gives a pretty funky look to hitters, who will definitely struggle the first few times they see it. His fastball sits 93-95 mph and can peak at 98 mph, but that delivery can make it seem a bit faster.
Johnson’s second option is a low-80s slider, which can be a plus pitch at times, but it does lack consistency and can get a bit slurvy. His third option is a changeup, which is a bit too close to the slider in velocity and doesn’t have much life.
His unique delivery gives him a different look than other pitchers, but his control and secondary pitches need some improvement. If he can upgrade that slider consistency, scouts see him as a 7th-inning reliever.
Tyler Johnson Stats
