Marques Johnson

Johnson, who is not related to the former NBA star of the same name, fell under the radar pitching at remote Hemet (Calif.) High but began to draw attention at Riverside (Calif.) JC. He transferred to Long Beach State and bounced between the rotation and bullpen as he struggled to harness his tantalizing stuff. He clicked at the end of this year and finished the spring with three solid starts in the Dirtbags rotation. Johnson excites with his promising pure stuff. His high-spin fastball ranges from 92-95 mph with riding life and could tick up with his fast arm speed and room to add strength. He complements his fastball with a high-spin curveball that flashes plus with 12-to-6 shape with hard, late drop. He also has a firm changeup that is a usable third pitch. Johnson is a good athlete with an appealing 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame, but he struggles to throw strikes consistently or hold his best stuff. His fastball drops to 89-91 mph after a few innings and he has never pitched more than 44.1 innings in a season. Johnson's stuff has him in late day two or early day three consideration for most teams. He projects to be a reliever with his fastball and curveball combination.