The Phillies are planning to call up right-hander Seth Johnson to start Sunday’s game against the Marlins, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. It’ll be the big league debut for the 25-year-old righty, whom Philadelphia acquired from the Orioles in exchange for left-hander Gregory Soto prior to the trade deadline. Johnson is already on the 40-man roster, so the Phils will only need to clear space on the active roster to accommodate his promotion.
Selected with the No. 40 overall pick by the Rays in 2019, Johnson has now been dealt twice before making his major league debut. Tampa Bay sent him to the Orioles as part of the three-team deal that brought Jose Siri to the Rays and sent Trey Mancini from the O’s to the Astros.
It’s been a long and injury-paved road to the majors for Johnson. He made nine starts in the summer following his draft season, didn’t pitch in 2020 due to the canceled minor league season, and was limited to 93 innings by an elbow issue in 2021. That elbow injury flared up in 2022 after just seven appearances, requiring Tommy John surgery that shut Johnson down until late in the 2023 campaign.
The 2024 campaign has been the first full, healthy season Johnson has had since being drafted five years ago. He’s looked sharp, pitching to a combined 2.33 earned run average between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. That includes an excellent 1.52 ERA in 23 2/3 innings since being traded from Baltimore to Philadelphia. Johnson had strict workload restrictions early in the season with the O’s, rarely pitching more than four innings in a start. The Phils have slowly taken off the training wheels, so to speak, allowing him to pitch five innings, five innings and six innings across his past three Triple-A appearances. Johnson’s pitch count has climbed as high as 98 in that time, and he’s allowed only one run in that run of three starts.
Baseball America currently ranks Johnson seventh among Phillies farmhands, while FanGraphs lists him eighth and MLB.com tabs him 15th. He’s viewed as a potential mid-rotation starter — one with a heater sitting around 95 mph and a potentially plus slider, with less-impressive but still-developing offerings in his curveball and changeup.
The Phillies’ rotation has at times been as deep as any unit in the game this season. The fifth spot has been an exception since right-hander Spencer Turnbull incurred a lat strain that sent him to the 60-day IL, however. Veteran Taijuan Walker has spent time on the injured list and struggled through the worst season of his career when healthy enough to take the mound. Philly recently dropped him to the bullpen, and they’ll turn to a young arm in his place after optioning another in-house option, right-hander Tyler Phillips, on the heels of his own recent struggles.
The top four spots in the Phils’ rotation are set both this year and next, with each of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez locked into spots. Turnbull is a free agent at season’s end. Walker is signed for another two years, but with Johnson, Phillips and prospects Andrew Painter and Mick Abel among the starting candidates working their way toward the majors, Walker’s long-term outlook has become rather muddled.
Happy to see them take a look at Seth Johnson, rather than meander back to Taj for the start.
“Walker’s long-term outlook has become rather muddled.” – from the article.
Not muddled – more like in active freefall.
Walker’s only on the roster to increase battery sales
The Orioles deadline moves are looking worse and worse as time goes by.
Zac Eflin, Slater and Jimenez have worked out pretty well. Dominguez isn’t far behind. Soto has been pitching well as of late.
Soto has something like 9 straight shutout appearances. Johnson was a massive overpay for him, but he’s been great.
Seth Johnson and Moises Chace have been the two most dominant pitchers in the Phillies system since the trade. Baltimore had an embarrassment of riches in their minors.
Can’t believe Elias traded him.
In addition to his fastball being fast, it can carry in the top of the zone. IE. it can have the appearance of movement.
Nice get by Phillies.
;C Yards Jeff;
The O’s also traded another good young pitching prospect with Johnson to get Soto – who this far has to be babied
by only being brought late into games that are already lost. Assume that they’re checking out how the changes they’ve have asked him to make are working thus far. is overall
stats in AA and AAA look very good.
Maybe Soto will be an asset in the playoffs using this approach (Rogers as well). But I really liked Johnson
and was wondering where he was this year.
Samuel; I’m hopeful Soto gets it figured out.
Phils are so locked in, they can experiment with the AAA guys , not worry about losses , and still not miss a beat.
5th starter has been a huge question mark after a series of injuries. Hopefully Johnson can give them a reasonable start.
Seth Johnson could slide into a high leverage bullpen piece if he can impress in his start(s). Hope he has a good debut, hate that the O’s had to give him up in their need to help their pen given all the injuries. Let’s get to the post season where anything can happen, esp after last year’s history of sweeps and teams peaking at the right time.
Phillies have had pretty good success with former Rays pitching prospects, so here’s hoping Seth Johnson is more of the same.
Bart Harley Jarvis;
Under Dombrowski the Phillies coaching staff (ML and MiL)
have been very good working with and developing pitchers.
This is quite fun.
It’s so nice to see these trades working out for the Phillies. With a team in first place, and one game out of the best record in baseball, they were still able to move some surplus major league pieces for minor-league depth. Next season looks really fun. With guys coming back from injury, as well as young guys fighting for their chance, the pitching staff looks pretty strong. let’s hope the offense continues to do its job.
Rogers deal was awful. But Norby’s playing over his head and Stowers is no good.
This deal I believe could be worse. Seth Johnson isn’t a ML starter IMO but he will be a ML reliever. Chace is also very promising. Sucks to drain 2 pitching prospects out of a system that is thin in that dept
I didnt get the Rogers trade, considering he’s only had one season below a 4.00 ERA.