Rays RHP prospect Ty Johnson was working as a starter for most of the season until he was placed on the Development list in mid-July. When he returned, Johnson was pitching out of the bullpen in anticipation of a big-league call-up later this season. Not only has his stuff ticked up when he transitioned to a relief role, but the command has been sharper too. Now, Johnson looks as ready as ever to contribute in the majors.
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Johnson throws from a low three-quarter slot with fringy extension. His short,
pushy arm action from a relatively low release height adds a layer of deception to his two pitches: a fastball and a breaking ball. The fastball gets above-average carry from his slot, and the breaking ball has a tight, cut-slider shape that tunnels well off the fastball. Since his move to the bullpen, Johnson has seen approximately a 2mph increase on the velocity of his shapes. His fastball now sits around 94mph (and he can reach back for 96-97 when needed) while his breaking ball sits around 86mph. The breaking ball plays more platoon neutral like a cutter than a traditional slider, helping him counter southpaws.
While the pure velocity on his fastball is unlikely to blow hitters away, Johnson creates a uniquely flat vertical approach angle (VAA) on it that helps him miss bats. In the month of August so far, he’s running a 50% whiff rate on the heater compared to just 28% heading into the month. Johnson has also seen a big jump in whiff rate on his breaking ball this month as it’s now over 55%. Of course, these rates likely aren’t sustainable across a full season, but that kind of swing-and-miss is something the Rays bullpen could use. At the major league level, the bullpen currently has the 6th lowest whiff rate during the second half. Some of this is skewed by their use of openers, but it’s still abnormally low for a Rays bullpen this late in the season.
Cleavinger, Baker, and Booser lead the way in whiff rate for Rays relievers so far this season, but even they all sit in the 25-26% range. Johnson and his 35% whiff rate this season would give Cash a relief weapon to help the team get out of a jam when even a ball in play could result in a run, in other words, he could certainly be pitching in high leverage pretty quickly.
The biggest barrier to him pitching meaningful innings in the majors is finding him space on the 40-man roster and in the current bullpen. Sulser, Jax, and Mesa Jr. all should be back from their respective IL stints relatively soon and should not be transferred to the 60-day IL. Ben Williamson, however, could be moved to the 60-day IL to create a 40-man spot for Johnson given the uncertainty of his hamstring.
The next step is finding a spot for him in the bullpen. This could be easier to do when rosters expand in September and they can simply add another chair in the bullpen. If the Rays wanted to get Johnson up sooner than that, they would likely need to DFA or option a current reliever. With Rodriguez back and Sulser and Jax due to return soon, it could be tricky to find a spot for everyone on the pitching staff and a tough decision might need to be made.
Regardless of how the Rays get Johnson into the Major League bullpen, I do expect it to happen before the postseason begins. His ability to miss bats and pitch to both sides of the plate makes him a valuable weapon to unleash on opposing lineups in September and October.
