Getting to Know: Cubs 15th Rounder Ty Johnson |
Despite struggling to develop starting pitching for the longest time, you are beginning to see the Cubs start to push through some of their homegrown pitching talents. Guys like Adbert Alzolay and Justin Steele come to mind, but you also had Keegan Thompson and several others who struggled this season but were excellent in 2022.
However, the Cubs have drafted several quality pitchers in recent years, and for whatever reason, the developmental side of things hasn't worked out. You would think that would push teams away from drafting pitchers during the MLB draft, but not the Cubs. They are doing whatever they need to in order to continue to stockpile their farm system with pitching depth. The next pitcher in a long line of arms added to the system came in round 15 as former Ball State University RHP Ty Johnson was scooped up by the Cubs and signed a deal north of 130K. Like some of the picks before him, there wasn't a ton of info on Johnson leading into the draft, but the Cubs must have seen something they liked to give him a shot. What we know about Johnson stems from this past season, where the results were mixed. He bounced between starter and reliever as he brought versatility to the table and got better with each season. As a team, that is what you want in a young pitcher. You are looking for someone who took some lumps along the way but made the necessary adjustments to get better. Johnson not only did that, but he is now in a position to off the Cubs another versatile arm along the lines of Adrian Sampson, Thompson, and Chris Clarke, among others. Last year he went 4-3 with a 4.53 ERA and four saves. He started ten games and was relieved six times. Johnson put up some good strikeout numbers with 68 in 53 2⁄3 innings last year. But he also gave up too many free bases with 31 walks and 11 hit batters. The command issues will undoubtedly have to be ironed out at the professional level, or he will have zero chance of contributing to this team. One of the things that attracted the Cubs to him was his 6-6 frame. Anytime you draft such a tall pitcher, it comes with some positives, and one of those positives is the deception they create as long strides shorten the path of the ball to home plate. Formally a top-five player in the state of Indiana, Johnson elected to go to Ball State, where he turned himself into a valuable asset. His fastball could use a few upticks in velocity, as he averages 91 MPH with that pitch right now. However, given his body frame, look for more velocity to come with added strength. Along with his heater comes an improving breaking ball which he still needs more seasoning. His go-to off-speed pitch is his curveball, as that tends to average 79 MPH. He can throw it two ways to increase velocity and change break, but he needs to show more consistent command with that pitch to make it look like two different pitches. Along with that curve, Johnson has two other pitchers he can use, although he hasn't used them a ton. His change-up sits around 84 MPH and is his next-best secondary offering. Johnson will need a consistent third offering for him to reach that next level as a pitcher, and his change could be that pitch. He also has a slider that he seldom uses, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him ditch that pitch altogether. Like many pitchers in the day three range, no one knows what to expect from a 15th-round pick outside of organizational depth pieces. However, given his track record of consistently improving each season, who knows how good Johnson can become? The mystery behind that could be why the Cubs wanted him when they did.
