Daniel Johnson (baseball)

Daniel Johnson Jr. (born July 11, 1995) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Daniel Johnson
Johnson at the 2019 All-Star Futures Game
Cleveland Indians – No. 23
Outfielder
Born: (1995-07-11) July 11, 1995
Vallejo, California
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
July 25, 2020, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Batting average.083
Home runs0
Runs batted in0
Teams

Amateur career

Johnson was born and raised in Vallejo, California, and attended Jesse M. Bethel High School.[1] In 2013, his senior year, he hit .515.[2] Undrafted in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft, he enrolled at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. In 2014, his freshman year, he hit .274 with two home runs and 16 RBIs over 39 games.[3] After the season, he transferred to New Mexico State University where he played baseball for the Aggies. In 2015, his sophomore season, he batted .305 with two home runs and 16 RBIs.[4] As a junior in 2016, he slashed .382/.434/.630 with 12 home runs, fifty RBIs, and 29 stolen bases over 57 games, and was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year.[5]

Professional career

Washington Nationals

Johnson was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the fifth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.[6] In his first professional season in 2016, Johnson hit .265 with a home run and 14 RBIs over 62 games for the Auburn Doubledays. The Nationals reportedly believed in Johnson's potential not just to stick in center field at higher professional levels, but to produce double-digit home runs as he developed.[7]

Johnson was assigned to the Hagerstown Suns for the 2017 season.[7] Almost right away, Johnson demonstrated significantly greater power and hitting ability with the Suns, hitting ten home runs by the end of May and posting a batting average above .300.[8] Johnson's prowess earned him a spot on the South Atlantic League's Northern Division All-Star team, alongside teammate Carter Kieboom.[9] On July 24, 2017, he was promoted to the Advanced-A Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League.[10] A midseason ranking of prospects by MLB Pipeline that month placed Johnson as the Nationals' tenth-best prospect.[11] Johnson finished the 2017 season with a .298 batting average, 22 home runs, 72 RBIs. and 22 stolen bases across both levels, appearing in 130 total games.[12] He was named the Nationals' Minor League Player of the Year for 2017.[13] In 2018, Johnson battled injuries, but still managed to appear in 89 games for the Harrisburg Senators, slashing .267/.321/.410 with six home runs and 31 RBIs.[14]

Cleveland Indians

On November 30, 2018, Johnson was traded to the Cleveland Indians, along with Jefry Rodríguez and a player to be named later (who was later announced as Andruw Monasterio), for Yan Gomes.[15] He began 2019 with the Akron RubberDucks and was promoted to the Columbus Clippers on May 25, 2019. That July, he played in the 2019 All-Star Futures Game.[16] Over 123 games between Akron and Columbus, he batted .290 with 19 home runs and 77 RBIs.[17]

Johnson was added to the Indians' 40–man roster following the 2019 season.[18] He made the Indians' Opening Day roster for the 2020 season.[19] Johnson made his major league debut on July 25, going hitless in three at-bats.[20] He batted .083 with no home runs or RBI over 12 at-bats in 2020.

References
  1. https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2020/07/24/jesse-bethel-grad-daniel-johnson-called-up-to-big-leagues-by-cleveland-indians/
  2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2017/05/08/minor-league-monday-introducing-daniel-johnson/
  3. https://www.dscfalcons.com/sports/bsb/2015-16/releases/20160520jsi3st
  4. https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2015/07/21/former-bethel-high-baseball-star-daniel-johnson-hitting-well-in-indiana/
  5. https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/sports/college/nmsu/2017/04/02/former-aggie-daniel-johnson-ready-1st-full-year-pro-baseball/99959568/
  6. Groves, Jason (June 7, 2016). "How Daniel Johnson turned himself into Big League prospect in one season". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  7. Rudi, Mark (April 2, 2017). "Former Aggie Daniel Johnson ready for 1st full year of pro baseball". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  8. Boyle, Tim (May 31, 2017). "Breakout Washington Nationals prospect Daniel Johnson continues to prove his worth". Outside Pitch Sports Network. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  9. Wild, Danny (June 6, 2017). "Rutherford, Kieboom among Sally All-Stars". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  10. "Daniel Johnson, Jordan Mills Promoted to Potomac". Minor League Baseball. July 24, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  11. "2017 Prospect Watch". MLB.com. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  12. "Minor League Wednesday: A look at how the Nationals' prospects performed in 2017". The Washington Post. September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  13. Kerr, Byron (October 1, 2017). "Johnson, Suero and Read appreciative of organizational honors". MASN Sports. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  14. https://www.news-herald.com/sports/indians/daniel-johnson-showing-promise-for-indians-in-spring-training/article_c6f4da36-3d01-11e9-ac62-c74297c130ac.html
  15. Hoynes, Paul (November 30, 2018). "Cleveland Indians trade catcher Yan Gomes to Washington Nationals for three players; restructuring of team payroll has begun". Cleveland.com.
  16. Jim Callis (June 28, 2019). "Here are the 2019 Futures Game rosters". MLB.com. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  17. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/indians-view-daniel-johnson-as-potential-regular/
  18. Mandy Bell (November 20, 2019). "Indians add McKenzie to 40-man roster". MLB.com. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  19. Hoynes, Paul (July 24, 2020). "Cleveland Indians recall OF Daniel Johnson for opening night against Kansas City". Cleveland.com.
  20. https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/07/how-about-some-chatter-out-there-and-4-other-things-about-the-cleveland-indians.html
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