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Seth Johnson
P | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6' 1" 205LBS | Age: 26
Draft: 2019 | Rd: CB-A, #40, Tampa Bay Rays | Campbell University
MLB Pipeline Rank
W
L
ERA
G
GS
SV
IP
SO
WHIP
2024 0 1 34.71 1 1 0 2.1 0 4.71
1 Season 0 1 34.71 1 1 0 2.1 0 4.71
G
W-L
ERA
IP
SO
WHIP
2024 1 0-1 34.71 2.1 0 4.71
1 Season 1 0-1 34.71 2.1 0 4.71
20242024 MLB Percentile Rankings
ValuesavantPOORAVERAGEGREATPitching Run Value-4NOT QUALIFIEDFastball Run Value-1NOT QUALIFIEDBreaking Run Value-3NOT QUALIFIEDOffspeed Run Value-1NOT QUALIFIEDPitchingxERA14.36NOT QUALIFIEDxBA.433NOT QUALIFIEDFastball Velo95.2NOT QUALIFIEDAvg Exit Velocity93.2NOT QUALIFIEDChase %16.0NOT QUALIFIEDWhiff %24.0NOT QUALIFIEDK %0.0NOT QUALIFIEDBB %16.7NOT QUALIFIEDBarrel %6.7NOT QUALIFIEDHard-Hit %46.7NOT QUALIFIEDGB %26.7NOT QUALIFIEDExtension5.8NOT QUALIFIED
20242024 Movement Profile (Induced Break)
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MLB AVG.ARM ANGLE53°12"24"6"12"18"24"12"24"12"24"7.2 INCHES BREAK16.5 INCHES DROPAVG10.4 INCHES TAIL7.2 INCHES RISEAVG4.8 INCHES BREAK6.2 INCHES RISEAVG7.3 INCHES TAIL20.0 INCHES RISEAVG1B3BMOVES TOWARD︎MORERISEMOREDROPUSAGEMPHRHP AVG4-Seam48%95.294.7Slider29%87.486.1Change12%87.286.2Curve10%76.080.3SAMPLE100 PITCH

Standard Minor League Pitching Statistics

Season
Tm
LG
L
W
L
ERA
G
GS
SV
IP
H
R
ER
HR
BB
SO
WHIP
2019 2 Teams Minors 0 1 2.12 9 9 0 17.0 17 5 4 0 3 16 1.18
2019 Princeton Rays APP ROA 0 1 5.14 4 4 0 7.0 10 5 4 0 1 9 1.57
2019 GCL Rays GCL ROK 0 0 0.00 5 5 0 10.0 7 0 0 0 2 7 0.90
2021 Charleston RiverDogs A E A 6 6 2.88 23 16 0 93.2 86 43 30 7 33 115 1.27
2022 Bowling Green Hot Rods SAL A+ 1 1 3.00 7 7 0 27.0 23 9 9 4 11 41 1.26
2023 4 Teams Minors 0 1 4.35 5 5 0 10.1 9 6 5 1 5 14 1.35
2023 FCL Orioles FCL ROK 0 0 0.00 1 1 0 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1.00
2023 Delmarva Shorebirds CAR A 0 0 0.00 1 1 0 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.50
2023 Aberdeen IronBirds SAL A+ 0 1 8.31 2 2 0 4.1 4 4 4 0 3 7 1.62
2023 Bowie Baysox EAS AA 0 0 3.00 1 1 0 3.0 3 2 1 1 2 4 1.67
2024 3 Teams Minors 2 8 2.73 25 25 0 95.2 74 34 29 9 50 89 1.30
2024 Bowie Baysox EAS AA 0 6 2.63 18 18 0 65.0 51 24 19 5 35 61 1.32
2024 Reading Fightin Phils EAS AA 0 1 3.52 2 2 0 7.2 8 3 3 2 1 9 1.17
2024 2 Teams AA 0 7 2.72 20 20 0 72.2 59 27 22 7 36 70 1.31
2024 Lehigh Valley IronPigs INT AAA 2 1 2.74 5 5 0 23.0 15 7 7 2 14 19 1.26
2025 Lehigh Valley IronPigs INT AAA 2 1 3.63 7 4 0 22.1 18 10 9 0 15 28 1.48

Scouting Report

2025

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

It’s been a winding road for Johnson since he emerged as a very good college pitching prospect at Campbell in 2019. The Rays took him No. 40 overall that year, and after a big first full season in 2021, he needed Tommy John surgery the following year. He was sent to the Orioles in a three-team deal (the Astros got Trey Mancini) just before he went under the knife, so he rehabbed with his new organization and returned late in 2023. He looked more like his pre-injury self in 2024 when he was on the move again, as the O’s shipped him to the Phillies in the Gregory Soto deal at the Trade Deadline, then he moved from Double-A to Triple-A and made his big league debut last September.

Johnson’s 98 combined innings at all stops in 2024 was a career high and he started to regain sharpness in his four-pitch mix. He can run his fastball up to 98 mph, averaging 94.6 mph in the Minors last year according to Synergy, with good life up in the zone. He can miss a lot of bats with his mid-80s slider, but there’s still room to improve the pitch, and he’s worked on different grips to help tighten it up. He doesn’t throw his curve as much, mostly against lefties, but he can steal a strike with it and he has a changeup, though it’s his fourth pitch.

A former shortstop from his junior college days, Johnson brings solid athleticism to the mound and he should be able to be a reliable strike-thrower, especially the further removed from surgery he gets. He’s ready to help in the back of a big league rotation.


2024

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Johnson was a light-hitting shortstop at Louisburg (N.C.) junior college before converting to pitching and transferring to Campbell, where he emerged as one of the more exciting pitching prospects in the 2019 Draft. Johnson became the then-highest drafted player in Campbell history when the Rays selected him 40th overall in ‘19, and two years later, he broke out at Single-A Charleston. But he made only seven starts in 2022 before requiring Tommy John surgery, and days before the operation was sent to Baltimore in the three-team deal that sent Trey Mancini to the Astros. He returned to make five rehab appearances down the stretch in ‘23, finishing the year at Double-A Bowie, and was logging healthy and productive innings back with Bowie in 2024 when he was sent to the Phillies in the Gregory Soto deal at the Trade Deadline.

Johnson turned heads pre-injury with a fastball that touched as high as 98 mph with hoppy life up in the zone. It's averaged 95 post-surgery and maintained that life. More elusive was the feel for his swing-and-miss slider, though with mid-80s velocity and late bite, it can still be a plus pitch. Johnson’s mid-80s curveball is less polished and used primarily against left-handed hitters, and a developing changeup remains his fourth pitch. Johnson was around the zone enough before the surgery and his athleticism suggests he will be able to find a way back to average control.

Johnson’s fluid mechanics and at least most of his stuff seemed to return without much complication in a small sample post-surgery, though the true impact of the operation and his relatively short track record should bear out better over a full season in 2024. He maintains the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter, though his age and placement on the 40-man roster could push Johnson into a bullpen role in the short term.


2023

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Johnson burst onto the scene after a change of scenery and a position change, transferring to Campbell University and transitioning from a light-hitting shortstop to one of the most exciting pitchers in the 2019 draft class. The Rays saw the upside and selected him 40th overall in ’19, making Johnson the highest-drafted player in Campbell history at the time, and watched him break out in 2021 at Single-A Charleston. He made only seven starts in 2022 before requiring Tommy John surgery, and days before undergoing the operation was sent to Baltimore in the three-team trade that sent Trey Mancini to the Astros. Johnson is expected to miss most of the 2023 campaign recovering and return healthy again for 2024, his age-25 season.

A late bloomer given his career trajectory, Johnson gained confidence on the mound as his first full season progressed, growing more comfortable with his impressive array of pitches. His best pitch is a fastball that touches 98 mph and sits in the mid-90s, with carry at the top of the zone. He also throws a swing-and-miss slider in the mid-80s, and a developing changeup and curveball he doesn’t yet throw for strikes as much as the slider. After excelling at Single-A down the stretch in ’21, Johnson posted a 3.00 ERA with 41-11 K/BB ratio in 7 starts at High-A in ’22 before the injury struck. 

The Orioles have confidence he’ll continue his upward trajectory even after the significant layoff. They added him to their 40-man roster in November. 


2022

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Once a light-hitting junior college shortstop, Johnson transferred to Campbell University with only six innings of collegiate pitching experience and burst onto the scene. He immediately showed two plus pitches and a delivery that one scouting director called the best in the 2019 Draft class, and the Rays made him the highest-drafted player in Campbell history at the time with the 40th overall selection. He debuted that summer, then began to break out in a big way during his 2021 return to game action. He made just seven starts in 2022 and was sent to the Orioles just days before Tommy John surgery in the three-team trade with the Astros and Rays that sent Trey Mancini to Houston.

Johnson always had the ingredients to succeed, including a fastball that touches 98 mph and sits in the mid-90s with carry at the top of the zone plus a swing-and-miss slider in the mid-80s that ticked up in velocity late last season. But he was bound to be a late bloomer due to his limited experience on the mound. So perhaps it’s unsurprising that he seemed to gain more confidence in and understanding of his arsenal, which also includes a changeup and a curveball, as his first full season progressed. Johnson continued to lean on his fastball but located it more consistently, and he more effectively threw his slider for strikes. In his final 11 starts for Single-A Charleston, Johnson posted a 1.63 ERA and held opponents to a .603 OPS while striking out 66 and walking only 14 in 49 2/3 innings.

Johnson’s step forward didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the industry, as clubs often inquired about him in trade talks prior to the Mancini deal. He’s Rule 5 Draft-eligible following this season, with his elbow surgery leaving that part of his future up in the air. He has the athleticism and aptitude to become another high-end starter, though he’ll have to prove himself over a full season post-injury.


2021

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Johnson transferred to Campbell University after only pitching six innings during his first two collegiate seasons as a light-hitting shortstop at Louisburg (N.C.) Junior College. He quite quickly displayed two potential plus pitches and a delivery that one scouting director called the best in the 2019 Draft class. His power stuff, athleticism on the mound and limited mileage as a pitcher intrigued the Rays, who made him the highest-drafted player in Campbell history (John Posey went 44th overall in 1986) by taking him with the 40th pick. He went right to work, making five scoreless starts for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Rays before finishing his professional debut with four starts in the Appalachian League.

Johnson’s fastball tops out at 98 mph and typically sits between 93-95, though he could maintain higher velocity as he gains more experience on the mound. He also features a swing-and-miss slider that flashes plus and plays off his fastball, clocking in in the mid-80s with late bite, along with a fading changeup and a loopy curveball with intriguing spin characteristics. He threw strikes in his pro debut, recording 16 strikeouts with only three walks in 17 innings, but his command and control need more work to reach his projections.

Johnson will still need time to refine his game, which should come as no surprise given how relatively new he is to pitching and how far he was from the Majors the last time he pitched in competitive game action. But he spent some time at the Rays’ alternate training site last September before reporting to their instructional league camp, giving the team some hands-on work with a prospect in whom it clearly sees promise. He has the athleticism and aptitude to develop into yet another high-upside arm for the Rays to push through their system.


2020

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

A light-hitting shortstop who totaled just six innings on the mound in two college seasons at Louisburg (N.C.) JC, Johnson transferred to Campbell and showcased two potential plus pitches with a delivery that one scouting director called the best in the 2019 Draft. That power stuff, along with the limited mileage on Johnson’s right arm, put him firmly on the Rays' radar, and they made him the highest-drafted player in Campbell history -- surpassing John Posey, who went 44th overall in 1986 -- taking him with the No. 40 overall pick. He opened his pro debut with five scoreless starts in the Gulf Coast League and finished it as a member of Rookie-level Princeton’s rotation. 

Johnson may be new to pitching, but his inexperience doesn’t show on the mound. His effortless arm action and delivery makes the ball come out of his hand very easily, with his fastball topping out at 98 mph and usually ranging from 93-95. Johnson’s plus slider plays nicely off his heater, registering in the mid-80s with late, swing-and-miss bite, and he’ll also mix in a loopy curveball and an average changeup with fading action.

As would be expected for a newcomer to the mound, Johnson still needs polish. He didn't dominate against so-so competition in the Big South Conference, in part because his control and command need work, but he has the athleticism and overall aptitude to make the needed adjustments.


2019

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Whether Johnson will become the highest pick ever out of Campbell -- surpassing John Posey, who went 44th overall in 1986 -- will depend in part on how comfortable teams are with spending an early choice on a pitcher with almost no previous history. He spent his first two college seasons at Louisburg (N.C.) JC as a light-hitting shortstop and worked just six innings on the mound as a sophomore.

After transferring to Campbell, he has showcased two potential plus pitches and what one scouting director called the best delivery in the 2019 Draft. Johnson has an effortless arm action and delivery, looking very natural on the mound despite his inexperience. The ball comes out of his hand so easily, with his fastball topping out at 98 mph and usually ranging from 91-95. His slider is his best secondary offering, a plus pitch in the mid-80s at its best but also still inconsistent.

As would be expected for a newcomer to the mound, Johnson still needs polish. His loopy curveball and his changeup are less reliable than his slider but can become at least average pitches with more experience. He hasn't dominated so-so competition in the Big South Conference, in part because his control and command need work, but he has the athleticism to make the needed adjustments.



Awards




Transactions

Team
Date
Transaction
03/10/2025 Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Seth Johnson to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
10/10/2024 Philadelphia Phillies activated RHP Seth Johnson.
10/01/2024 Philadelphia Phillies recalled RHP Seth Johnson from Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
09/09/2024 Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Seth Johnson to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
09/08/2024 Philadelphia Phillies recalled RHP Seth Johnson from Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
08/15/2024 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs from Jersey Shore BlueClaws.
08/13/2024 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to Jersey Shore BlueClaws from Reading Fightin Phils.
07/30/2024 Philadelphia Phillies traded LHP Gregory Soto to Baltimore Orioles for RHP Seth Johnson and RHP Moisés Chace.
07/30/2024 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to Reading Fightin Phils.
03/08/2024 Baltimore Orioles optioned RHP Seth Johnson to Bowie Baysox.
03/08/2024 Bowie Baysox activated RHP Seth Johnson.
10/11/2023 Baltimore Orioles activated RHP Seth Johnson.
10/02/2023 Baltimore Orioles recalled RHP Seth Johnson from Bowie Baysox.
10/02/2023 RHP Seth Johnson roster status changed by Baltimore Orioles.
09/13/2023 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to Bowie Baysox from Norfolk Tides.
08/29/2023 Norfolk Tides sent RHP Seth Johnson on a rehab assignment to Aberdeen IronBirds.
08/29/2023 sent RHP Seth Johnson on a rehab assignment to Aberdeen IronBirds.
08/22/2023 Norfolk Tides sent RHP Seth Johnson on a rehab assignment to Delmarva Shorebirds.
08/19/2023 Norfolk Tides sent RHP Seth Johnson on a rehab assignment to FCL Orioles.
08/19/2023 Norfolk Tides sent RHP Seth Johnson on a rehab assignment to FCL Orioles.
03/31/2023 Norfolk Tides placed RHP Seth Johnson on the 60-day injured list.
03/31/2023 Norfolk Tides placed RHP Seth Johnson on the 60-day injured list.
03/11/2023 Baltimore Orioles optioned RHP Seth Johnson to Norfolk Tides.
03/11/2023 Norfolk Tides activated RHP Seth Johnson.
03/11/2023 Norfolk Tides activated RHP Seth Johnson.
03/11/2023 Norfolk Tides activated RHP Seth Johnson.
11/15/2022 Baltimore Orioles selected the contract of RHP Seth Johnson from Aberdeen IronBirds.
11/15/2022 Baltimore Orioles activated RHP Seth Johnson.
11/10/2022 Aberdeen IronBirds activated RHP Seth Johnson from the 60-day injured list.
08/06/2022 Aberdeen IronBirds transferred RHP Seth Johnson from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
08/01/2022 Tampa Bay Rays traded RHP Seth Johnson to Baltimore Orioles.
08/01/2022 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to Aberdeen IronBirds.
05/27/2022 Bowling Green Hot Rods placed RHP Seth Johnson on the 7-day injured list.
04/07/2022 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to Bowling Green Hot Rods.
02/12/2021 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to Charleston RiverDogs.
02/12/2021 RHP Seth Johnson and assigned to Charleston RiverDogs.
10/02/2020 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to Bowling Green Hot Rods.
10/02/2020 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to Bowling Green Hot Rods from Rays Alternate Training Site.
09/09/2020 Tampa Bay Rays invited non-roster RHP Seth Johnson to spring training.
10/08/2019 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to GCL Rays from Princeton Rays.
08/05/2019 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to Princeton Rays from GCL Rays.
06/23/2019 RHP Seth Johnson assigned to GCL Rays.
06/12/2019 Tampa Bay Rays signed RHP Seth Johnson.