- Full name Ryan Christopher Johnson
- Born 08/05/2002 in Dallas, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 212 / Bats: S / Throws: R
- School Dallas Baptist
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Drafted in the 2C round (74th overall) by the Los Angeles Angels in 2024 (signed for $1,747,500).
View Draft Report
School: Dallas Baptist
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 22
BA Grade: 50/High
Tools: Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Curveball: 40. Changeup: 40. Cutter: 50. Control: 60.
A 6-foot-6, 215-pound righthander, Johnson split time as a starter and reliever in 2022 with Dallas Baptist but excelled as a full-time starter from 2023 onward and turned in one of the best pitching efforts in the country in 2024. He posted a 2.29 ERA in 16 starts and 106 innings with a 35.9% strikeout rate and minuscule 3.3% walk rate. Johnson works from a high-effort delivery that features an overhead windup, low three-quarters slot and short, slinging arm action that comes with plenty of recoil and head whack in his finish. He sits around 93 mph with a sinking fastball that will touch 98-100, but he throws a sweeping low-80s slider nearly half the time as his primary pitch. He also throws a hard, upper-80s cutter and will occasionally mix in a mid-80s changeup and slower curveball versus lefthanded hitters. Johnson’s fastball/slider combo and low slot create an east-west profile that results in plenty of grounders, but he also misses plenty of bats with his slider and has posted a strikeout rate north of 30% in back-to-back seasons. Area scouts tend to project Johnson as a reliever, while many analysts look at his career 5.6% walk rate, deep pitch mix and starter track record and would give him a chance to continue starting in pro ball. He’s an animated, high-energy pitcher who competes on the mound and should earn a top-two rounds selection.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: A 6-foot-6, 215-pound righthander, Johnson split time as a starter and reliever in 2022 with Dallas Baptist but excelled as a full-time starter from 2023 onward and turned in one of the best pitching efforts in the country in 2024. He posted a 2.29 ERA in 16 starts and 106 innings with a 35.9% strikeout rate and minuscule 3.3% walk rate.
Scouting Report: Johnson works from a high-effort delivery that features an overhead windup, low three-quarters slot and short, slinging arm action that comes with plenty of recoil and head whack in his finish. He sits around 93 mph with a sinking fastball that will touch 98-100, but he throws a sweeping low-80s slider nearly half the time as his primary pitch. He also throws a hard, upper-80s cutter and will occasionally mix in a mid-80s changeup and slower curveball versus lefthanded hitters. Johnson’s fastball/slider combo and low slot create an east-west profile that results in plenty of grounders, but he also misses plenty of bats with his slider and has posted a strikeout rate north of 30% in back-to-back seasons. Area scouts tend to project Johnson as a reliever, while many analysts look at his career 5.6% walk rate, deep pitch mix and starter track record and would give him a chance to continue starting in pro ball.
The Future: Johnson is an animated, high-energy pitcher who competes on the mound.
Scouting Grades:Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 40 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 60.
Draft Prospects
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School: Dallas Baptist Committed: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 22.0
Johnson is a 6-foot-6, 215-pound righthander turned in a terrific 2023 season in his first year as a full-time starter for Dallas Baptist. He upped his strikeout rate from 18.5% to 31.4% and posted a 4.43 ERA over 87.1 innings and 15 starts. At the same time he cut his walk rate from 8.7% to 5.9%. Johnson averaged 93-94 mph with his fastball and has been up to 100, but relies heavily on a slider despite that velocity. He threw his low-80s slider 52% of the time in 2023 and still managed a nearly 40% miss rate with it. The pitch has lots of horizontal movement and looks like an out pitch at the next level, though he still needs to refine a third offering to profile as a starter.
Top 100 Rankings
Career Transactions
- RHP Ryan Johnson assigned to Dallas Baptist Patriots.
