Getting to Know Cubs Draft Pick: Ben Johnson |
Another round of the MLB Draft came and went during day three, and another college-level arm came off the Chicago Cubs' board. This time, it was from the right side after the teams focused on lefties with their previous selections, as the Cubs added Georgia Southern RHP Ben Johnson with their 17th-round selection.
Taking 512th overall, Johnson stands at 6-3 and weighs 178 pounds, leaving plenty of room for growth in his frame. Of all the selections the Cubs made throughout the draft, this one comes with the most question marks, as the overall numbers on him weren't great, apart from his brief stint in the Cape Cod League. With that league generating far more attention than ever, the Cubs could have considered that when making this selection, as this is more of a scouting play than anything else. Across his four seasons with the Eagles, Johnson bounced between the rotation and relief, appearing in 79 games, 29 of which were starts. That gives the Cubs some flexibility regarding him, as he has experience as a starter and a reliever. Although he has failed to top 65 innings in any season, he still has 213 innings under his belt, which is a large enough sample size to get a pretty good picture of what he can do. His 96BB to 202 strikeout ratio is very concerning, as is his 5.05 ERA despite going 16-13 in college. He did have a brief stint in the Cape Cod League, where he posted a 2.11 ERA across nine appearances, which could be where the Cubs are getting much of their information. Although his overall results were from being what anyone hopes for, he does have a diverse repertoire worth diving into as he could turn himself into a serviceable option in the minors. That all starts with his 92 MPH heater, which has seen its velocity increase by 22 MPH since his senior year of college. Given his current size and body type, there is hope he can add a few more MPH to that fastball, which could make the most significant difference in the world regarding his overall success. Johnson also uses several different offspeed pitches to change a hitter's timing at the plate and can do that by generating some great spin rates. Given how much time and effort the Cubs put into their pitching lab, adding a guy capable of producing elite spin rates does make sense, as Johnson will get right to work in that lab to see if the Cubs can unlock something with him. Apart from the information we have given you in this article, there isn't much out there about him. That could be due to his overall struggles on the mound the past few seasons, which makes this pick one of the most interesting ones for the Cubs throughout the draft. Regardless, this is more of a long-term play for the future, as the Cubs will see what they have in Johnson before finding an actual spot for him in their organization. The stats haven’t been good, but Cubs draftee Ben Johnson features a deep repertoire that at least based on data I’ve received looks good from Stuff models. This is a deep sleeper in the Cubs draft class.pic.twitter.com/p8Zs0o1IlL
