Seth Johnson (baseball)

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Seth Johnson

|image = Seth_Johnson_2021.jpg

|caption = Johnson with the Charleston RiverDogs in 2021

|team = Philadelphia Phillies

|number = 51

|position = Pitcher

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|9|19}}

|birth_place = Concord, North Carolina, U.S.

|bats = Right

|throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = September 8

|debutyear = 2024

|debutteam = Philadelphia Phillies

|statyear = 2024 season

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label = Win–loss record

|stat1value = 0–1

|stat2label = Earned run average

|stat2value = 34.71

|stat3label = Strikeouts

|stat3value = 0

|teams =

Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|2024}}–present)

}}

Seth William Johnson (born September 19, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Amateur career

Johnson attended Jay M. Robinson High School in Concord, North Carolina, where he played baseball. After graduating in 2016, he enrolled at Louisburg College. At Louisburg, he played mainly as a shortstop, hitting a combined .254 with nine home runs in his two seasons there.{{cite web|url=https://nsjonline.com/article/2019/05/mlb-teams-eye-nc-products-ahead-of-draft/|title=MLB teams eye NC products ahead of draft|first1=Brett|last1=Friedl|last2=er|date=May 22, 2019|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://baseballprospectjournal.com/seth-johnson-mlb-draft/|title=Seth Johnson transforms into MLB draft prospect – BPJ|date=March 28, 2019|website=Baseball Prospect Journal}} During his career at Louisburg, he pitched a total of six innings.{{cite web|url=https://www.gwcommonwealth.com/sports/ap_state_sports/article_69979caa-d8b2-5165-bbb1-3ffbfdc8715a.html|title=Things to know about NCAA baseball regionals|first=ERIC OLSON AP Sports|last=Writer|website=The Greenwood Commonwealth}} After his sophomore year, he transferred to Campbell University and began focusing solely on pitching.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/top-north-carolina-2019-mlb-draft-prospects/ |title=Top North Carolina 2019 MLB Draft Prospects |publisher=Baseballamerica.com |date=May 30, 2019 |accessdate=June 10, 2019}} In 2019, his junior year at Campbell, he appeared in 14 games (11 starts), going 3–3 with a 4.61 ERA, striking out 81 batters over {{fraction|66|1|3}} innings.{{cite web|url=https://953wdae.iheart.com/content/2019-06-03-rays-take-pitchers-with-both-compensation-picks/|title=Rays Take Pitchers With Both Compensation Picks|website=95.3 WDAE}}

Professional career

=Tampa Bay Rays=

The Tampa Bay Rays selected Johnson with the 40th overall pick in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2019/06/04/rays-stockpile-pitching-on-day-1-of-draft/|title=Rays stockpile pitching on Day 1 of draft|date=June 4, 2019|website=Tampa Bay Times}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fayobserver.com/sports/20190603/campbell-hurler-johnson-taken-40th-overall-in-mlb-draft|title=Campbell hurler Johnson taken 40th overall in MLB draft|first=Sammy|last=Batten|website=The Fayetteville Observer}} He received a signing bonus of $1.72 million and made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Rays.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/draft/tracker|title=MLB Draft Tracker|website=MLB.com}} After pitching ten scoreless innings over five games, he was promoted to the Princeton Rays of the Rookie Advanced Appalachian League in August, with whom he finished the season, going 0–1 with a 5.14 ERA over seven innings.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prospectslive.com/general/2021/1/13/under-the-radar-prospects-2021-al-east|title = Under-The-Radar Prospects 2021: AL East}}

Johnson did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-canceled|title = 2020 Minor League Baseball season canceled|website = MLB.com}} He was assigned to the Charleston RiverDogs of the Low-A East for the 2021 season.{{cite web | url=https://www.live5news.com/2021/04/30/riverdogs-announce-roster/ | title=RiverDogs Announce 2021 Roster }} He appeared in 23 games (making 16 starts), pitching to a 6–6 record, a 2.88 ERA, and 115 strikeouts over {{frac|93|2|3}} innings.{{Cite web|url=https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/minor_leagues/8-new-things-about-the-charleston-riverdogs-2021-normalcy-season/article_789d5264-ab6d-11eb-882b-973bfc39ff91.html|title = 8 new things about the Charleston RiverDogs' 2021 'normalcy' season}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/rays-2021-minor-league-report|title=Standout Rays prospects from the '21 season|website=MLB.com}} He was assigned to the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the High-A South Atlantic League to open the 2022 season.{{cite web | url=https://www.wnky.com/2022-hot-rods-roster-revealed/ | title=2022 Hot Rods Roster Revealed | date=April 7, 2022 }} In late May, he was placed on the injured list with forearm inflammation.{{cite web | url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/rays-seth-johnson-dealing-with-forearm-inflammation/ | title=Rays' Seth Johnson: Dealing with forearm inflammation }} It was later announced that he had torn his ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow and would be undergoing Tommy John surgery. Over 27 innings prior to the injury, he posted a 3.00 ERA with 41 strikeouts.{{cite web | url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/orioles-seth-johnson-needs-tjs-traded-in-three-teamer/ | title=Orioles' Seth Johnson: Needs TJS, traded in three-teamer }}

=Baltimore Orioles=

The Rays traded Johnson to the Baltimore Orioles in a three-team trade on August 1, 2022, in which the Rays acquired José Siri from the Houston Astros, the Astros acquired Trey Mancini from Baltimore and Jayden Murray from Tampa Bay, and the Orioles also acquired Chayce McDermott from the Astros.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/trey-mancini-astros-trade|first=Zachary|last=Silver|title=Astros acquire Mancini from O's in 3-team trade|website=MLB.com}}

On November 15, 2022, the Orioles selected Johnson's contract and added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.{{cite web | last=Ruiz | first=Nathan | title=Orioles add Grayson Rodriguez, 4 other prospects to 40-man roster for Rule 5 draft protection | website=Baltimore Sun | date=2022-11-15 | url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2022/11/15/orioles-add-grayson-rodriguez-4-other-prospects-to-40-man-roster-for-rule-5-draft-protection/ | access-date=2025-02-09}} Johnson was optioned to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides to begin the 2023 season.{{cite web | title=Orioles' Seth Johnson: Optioned to minors | website=CBSSports.com | date=2023-03-10 | url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/orioles-seth-johnson-optioned-to-minors/amp/ | access-date=2025-02-09}} He made rehab appearances for the rookie–level Florida Complex League Orioles, Single–A Delmarva Shorebirds, High–A Aberdeen IronBirds, and Double–A Bowie Baysox as he continued his recovery from surgery. Johnson was again optioned to Triple–A Norfolk to begin the 2024 season.{{Cite web|title=Orioles' Seth Johnson: Sent to minor-league camp|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/orioles-seth-johnson-sent-to-minor-league-camp/amp/|date=March 9, 2024|website=cbssports.com|language=en}} However, he instead began the campaign with Bowie, and compiled a 2.63 ERA as he was 0-6 with 35 walks and 61 strikeouts over 18 starts.

= Philadelphia Phillies =

On July 30, 2024, the Orioles traded Johnson and pitcher Moisés Chace to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for reliever Gregory Soto.{{cite news |last1=Hagen |first1=Paul |title=Phillies trade Gregory Soto to Orioles for pair of right-handed pitching prospects |url=https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/mlb-trade-deadline-phillies-trade-gregory-soto-orioles-seth-johnson-moises-chace/602752/ |access-date=September 8, 2024 |publisher=NBC Sports Philadelphia |date=July 30, 2024}}{{cite news |title=Orioles acquire Gregory Soto from Phillies for Seth Johnson and Moisés Chace |url=https://www.masnsports.com/blog/orioles-acquire-gregory-soto-from-phillies-for-seth-johnson-and-moises-chace |access-date=September 8, 2024 |publisher=MASN |date=July 30, 2024}} He was promoted to the major leagues for the first time on September 8.{{cite news |title=Phillies place Edmundo Sosa (back) on IL, recall Seth Johnson |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41179253/phillies-place-edmundo-sosa-back-il-recall-seth-johnson |access-date=September 8, 2024 |publisher=ESPN.com |date=September 8, 2024}}{{cite news |title=Phillies recall Johnson; place Sosa on 10-day injured list |url=https://www.mlb.com/phillies/press-release/press-release-phillies-recall-johnson-place-sosa-on-10-day-injured-list |access-date=September 8, 2024 |publisher=MLB.com |date=September 8, 2024}} In 2.1 innings in his first major league season he gave up 8 hits, 3 walks, and 9 earned runs.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=johnso006set "Seth Johnson,"] Baseball Reference.

Johnson was optioned to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs to begin the 2025 season.{{Cite web|title=Phillies' Seth Johnson: Optioned to Triple-A|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/phillies-seth-johnson-optioned-to-triple-a/|access-date=March 18, 2025|website=cbssports.com|language=en}}