The A’s had 21 selections in the 2023 Draft and used 11 of those on pitching. All but two of them were college arms and that included some low-risk selections on Day 3 like Johnston, a Texas A&M senior who signed for $150,000 in Round 13 after spending four years largely pitching out of the Aggies’ bullpen, where he missed a ton of bats but had inconsistent results. With low expectations, Johnston began his first full season of pro ball at age 23 with Single-A Stockton, but threw so well out of the gate he earned a quick promotion up to High-A Lansing at the end of April and finished the year with Double-A Midland.
A 6-foot-3 left-hander, Johnston has shown a better feel for his three-pitch arsenal than some expected, given his college numbers. He adds and subtracts from his fastball, throwing it typically in the 89-94 mph range, though he’s shown in the past the ability to reach back for a 95 or 96-mph heater on occasion. The pitch has played up a bit because he can pitch north and south with it. His best pitch is now his split-changeup, which flashes plus and can be a true out pitch at times. His low-80s breaking ball can be on the slurvy side, but it can be effective and he finished his first full year with an impressive 12.4 K/9 rate.
Johnston’s ceiling is somewhat limited, and his splits from his senior year with the Aggies point to him being more effective against right-handed hitters, so he doesn’t have the arsenal to be a lefty specialist out of the bullpen. His ability to continue to throw more strikes than he did in college (5.2 BB/9 with Texas A&M vs. 3.6/9 in 2024) could allow him to develop into a back-end starter type, especially if he can tighten up his breaking ball.
