Steve Johnson Today, 2013

[weams]

I see just the opposite of pro-Johnson "OH bias" in this thread. I think a lot of people are assuming he is his father and writing him off.

One person in this thread compared him to Brad Bergeson. Why, I don't know. Bergeson averaged 5.6 K/9 in his minor league career. Johnson is at 8.4.

Meanwhile, someone else talked about a "typical Johnson start" being under 6 innings and allowing 3 or 4 runs. That certainly wasn't "typical" of his major league starts last year. And given his ERA in Norfolk last year I don't think it was typical of his minor league starts either. It appears to me it is only "typical" of someone's imagining what Johnson is like as a pitcher based on what his father was.

The Johnson I saw last year threw much harder than his father did and was not some AAAA "nibbler" trying to eke out a career living on the edge of the plate.

Sent from my DROID Pro using Tapatalk 2

I want Steve to do well, and I am a big supporter.

[glenn__davis]

Happy for him. Hope they are more patient with Steve than they were for Britton. Hope Steve pitches better than Zach did. He's a great kid and he

deserves a shot.

Britton, like Arrieta, should never have gotten the call in the first place this year. Both need to show sustained success in the minors.

[Gurgi]

Steve has deception. Much like Uehara. NO one can figure out how he is dominating them but he just gets it done.

Steve also has decent nerves. Unlike Arrieta. Steve can usually hit his spots. Unlike Arrieta.

Steve actually does PITCH. If you people watch him closely he goes up and down in and out and when he is on he can make good hitters look a little stupid.

I think he probably is a major league average number 4 or 5 starter. But that is pretty valuable when we have a league best defense to throw out there. He can help us a great deal this year.

[OriolesHash1]

He had a 2.11 ERA last year, I am really pulling for him.

[Malike]

He had a 2.11 ERA last year, I am really pulling for him.

Thats a 38 inning sample, kind of small. Over 845 innings in his MiL career, he's a 4.18 ERA guy, I think he's much more likely to add a run+ to his MiL total, than subtract 2 runs at the ML level.

[OFFNY]

Thats a 38 inning sample, kind of small. Over 845 innings in his MiL career, he's a 4.18 ERA guy, I think he's much more likely to add a run+ to his MiL total, than subtract 2 runs at the ML level.

He's a career 4.18 ERA guy for his minor league career, but I think that his improvement after some time with each step up the last few years is more telling.

At Advanced-A Inland Empire in 2008, his E.R.A was 7.10. The next year at Advanced-A Inland Empire, his E.R.A went down to 3.82. The next year (2010) his E.R.A at AA-Bowie was 5.09. The next year at AA-Bowie (2011), his ERA went down to 2.16. When he was promoted to AAA-Norfolk that same year (2011) his ERA went up to 5.56. The next year at AAA-Norfolk (2012), his ERA went down to 2.86.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=johnso006ste

He seems to take some time to just to the next highest level of baseball when promoted, but when he does adjust, he has done so very well (at least in terms of E.R.A. and W.H.I.P.)

Now ...... whether or not that will necessarily translate into success at the major league level remains to be seen. But my point is that I believe that the promotions and the eventual settling in at the highest minor league levels (from Regular-A to Advanced-A, from Advanced-A to AA, and from AA to AAA) is more significant than his career E.R.A. in the minors from 2005 to the present.

[Malike]

He's a career 4.18 ERA guy for his minor league career, but I think that his improvement after some time with each step up the last few years is more telling.

At Advanced-A Inland Empire in 2008, his E.R.A was 7.10. The next year at Advanced-A Inland Empire, his E.R.A went down to 3.82. The next year (2010) his E.R.A at AA-Bowie was 5.09. The next year at AA-Bowie (2011), his ERA went down to 2.16. When he was promoted to AAA-Norfolk that same year (2011) his ERA went up to 5.56. The next year at AAA-Norfolk (2012), his ERA went down to 2.86.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=johnso006ste

He seems to take some time to just to the next highest level of baseball when promoted, but when he does adjust, he has done so very well (at least in terms of E.R.A. and W.H.I.P.)

Now ...... whether or not that will necessarily translate into success at the major league level remains to be seen. But my point is that I believe that the promotions and the eventual settling in at the highest minor league levels (from Regular-A to Advanced-A, from Advanced-A to AA, and from AA to AAA) is more significant than his career E.R.A. in the minors from 2005 to the present.

All good points, we'll have to wait and see. I'm sure he'll get an opportunity to run with the 5 spot if he can pitch well.

[OFFNY]

.

MINNESOTA TWINS O (MAY 11th)

Brian Dozier - 2B

Joe Mauer - C

Ryan Doumit - DH

Justin Morneau - 1B

Trevor Plouffe - 3B

Chris Parmelee - RF

Oswaldo Arcia - LF

Wilkin Ramirez - CF

Eduardo Escobar - SS

Vance "Vanimal" Worley - RHP (3-3, 6.35 ERA)

http://baseballpress.com/lineup.php

[OFFNY]

.

Johnson's most recent start for the AAA-Tides:

STEVE JOHNSON O (vs. AAA-Buffalo, 5/06)

IP:. 5.67

H:o 7

R:O 2

BB: 1

SO: 8

Pitches: 94 (66 Strikes, 28 Balls)

2013 ERA: 4.41 (AAA-Norfolk)

*****************

PITCHES BY INNING

22 (14 Strikes)

17 (11 Strikes)

11 (91 Strikes)

10 (81 Strikes)

12 (11 Strikes)

22 (13 Strikes) *

* Johnson retired 2 batters before departing in the 6th inning.

.

[scOtt]

I'm very hopeful for Steve. But not expectant. We face a dog pitcher tonight so hope Steve and the O's outlast him.

[OFFNY]

.

STEVE JOHNSON O (vs. TWINS, 5/11) *

IP:. 4

H:o 7

R:O 6

BB: 4 **

SO: 3

Pitches: 88 (48 Strikes, 40 Balls) *** .84 (48 Strikes, 36 Balls)

2013 ERA: 13.50

* Johnson's 2013 Major League Season Debut

** One of Johnson's walks was intentional.

*** Pitch Count Minus the Intentional Walk

[Il BuonO]

I see just the opposite of pro-Johnson "OH bias" in this thread. I think a lot of people are assuming he is his father and writing him off.

One person in this thread compared him to Brad Bergeson. Why, I don't know. Bergeson averaged 5.6 K/9 in his minor league career. Johnson is at 8.4.

Meanwhile, someone else talked about a "typical Johnson start" being under 6 innings and allowing 3 or 4 runs. That certainly wasn't "typical" of his major league starts last year. And given his ERA in Norfolk last year I don't think it was typical of his minor league starts either. It appears to me it is only "typical" of someone's imagining what Johnson is like as a pitcher based on what his father was.

That was me and the difference was in a very SSS he limited damage with his tremendously high walk rate by not giving up hits. As soon as they start hitting him those walks make him no more effective than Arrieta. Less so, because his walks per nine innings is higher.

The Johnson I saw last year threw much harder than his father did and was not some AAAA "nibbler" trying to eke out a career living on the edge of the plate.

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Johnson works 88-90, that's not much harder than his father, Imo. He also walks way too many, call it command, call it nibbling, call it whatever you like, but he allows too many baserunners.

And he touched 91 today, but this is right. His secondaries are nothing special and he constantly has to live on the edges or he gets hit. And they weren't cheap hits today. Too many guys on and not deep enough into games.

[ChuckS]

I hope he gets at least another start. I think he deserves it based on what he did for us last year.

[TonySoprano]

He has been optioned to Norfolk.

[LookitsPuck]

57% strikes, walking the #9 hitter..giving hitters too many chances in hitter's counts. First 2 innings: money. Last 2 innings: rubbish.

He'll get better.