At the 2024 trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles made multiple moves, swapping players in hopes of rounding out their roster for October. In the trade that sent Gregory Soto to Baltimore, the Phillies acquired a young pitcher, Seth Johnson, who instantly ranked in the Phillies' Top 10 prospects.
Who is Seth Johnson, the Phillies' newest Top 10 prospect?
The 25-year-old is a junior college product who mainly played shortstop during his time at Louisburg College in North Carolina. Johnson hit .254 with nine home runs in his two seasons there.
After transferring to Campbell University before his junior season, Johnson decided it was time to put the bat down and become only a pitcher. The young righty showed off some wicked stuff, striking out 81 hitters in 66 innings. After one year of pitching full-time, the Tampa Bay Rays selected Johnson with the 40th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft.
Johnson's wild ride around the Minor Leagues
After appearing in only nine games in 2019, Johnson and the rest of MiLB were shut down in 2020. In 2021, the North Carolina native began to settle into pitching with a 2.88 ERA in his first real bulk of professional baseball.
The next year was not as bright for the young pitcher, however. He made only a few starts in 2022 before injuring his throwing arm, which led to Tommy John surgery.
While pondering his future in baseball, encountering one of the worst injuries for a pitcher and surgery ahead of him in only three days, Johnson was sent from the Rays to the Orioles in a deal that sent Trey Mancini to Houston and Jose Siri to the Rays.
Two years later, Johnson joins the Phillies system and looks to build on his impressive start to the 2024 season.
Phillies No. 10 Prospect Seth Johnson records his first strikeout in a Fightin Phils uniform! pic.twitter.com/OwTGFNeQiw
— Reading Fightin Phils (@ReadingFightins) August 4, 2024
Seth Johnson adds to the depth of high-potential arms on the verge of the majors
While many were upset about the loss of prospect William Bergolla in the trade that brought Austin Hays to Philadelphia, Dombrowski was able to improve the farm system as well in the series of trades with the Orioles.
Johnson joins the collection of right-handed pitchers who are very close to MLB-ready, alongside the likes of Andrew Painter, Mick Abel and Griff McGarry. A strong first half in 2024 slots him in as the No. 10 prospect in the Phillies organization, according to MLB Pipeline.
Before his injury, Johnson's fastball reached upwards of 98 mph but has been hovering around 95 during his first 20 games back. He also boasts two offspeed pitches, a sharp-biting slider in the mid-80s and a looping curveball that sits closer to 80 mph. Johnson has been working on developing a change-up, something that Caleb Cotham and his band of pitching coaches will have a great time tinkering with.
The biggest question mark with Johnson is how he will recover from his Tommy John surgery. While many pitchers bounce back, and some even improve, it's too early to tell if Johnson will be able to reach his original ceiling.
Johnson has fluid mechanics, a solid frame and the ability to command his arsenal. In his short time back, Johnson has shown increasing development back to his old self.
Seeing as though Johnson is 25 years old this season, he could find himself in a role similar to Spencer Turnbull or Kolby Allard in the near future. His stuff and ability to stay around the strike zone can make him a good spot starter or multiple-inning reliever for the big league ball club when hampered by injuries. The hope is that fully stretched out, Johnson can be a middle rotation arm for the Phillies soon.