JJ's big year earned him a first-half All-Star nod in the SAL, but his age is a major obstacle at this point
Inf, LHB, 27
Inf, LHB, 27
2015 with Savannah (including playoffs): 123 G, 513 PA, .267/.394/.374, 75 R, 110 H, 21 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 47 K: 77 BB (9.2 K%: 15 BB%), .288 BABIP, .107 ISO, 127 wRC+, 13.7 AB/XBH, 6.6% HR/FB, 53.8 GB%: 20.7 FB%: 17.9 LD%: 7.6 PU%, 23-32 on stolen bases (72%)
If you’re an aspiring baseball player, not getting drafted is usually the end of the road. There are always free agent contracts handed out to the top senior’s not drafted, but unless you get an offer, you’re stuck looking for a job in Indy ball or hanging up the cleats. That’s where Jonathan Johnson found himself after the 2011 draft, but he chose not to give up, and his hard work in the Frontier League finally led to a minor league contract with the Mets midway through the 2014 season. Johnson would join the Sand Gnats at the end of June 2014, and he’s been their primary second baseman since. He’s been the same hitter with Savannah that he was in Indy ball for parts of 4 seasons, and the Frontier League is comparable in talent level to the SAL, so it’s too bad he wasn’t given a chance in the minors out of college.
 |
| Jonathan Johnson's 2015 spray charts vs. LHP (left) and RHP (right) |
Table 1 – Jonathan Johnson’s 2015 Splits by Month
Month
|
PA
|
AB/XBH
|
HR/FB
|
BB%
|
K%
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
wRC+
|
GB%
|
April
|
47
|
13.3
|
0
|
12.8
|
4.3
|
.263
|
.075
|
100
|
59.5
|
May
|
94
|
13.3
|
9.1
|
10.6
|
9.6
|
.403
|
.125
|
176
|
54.8
|
June
|
105
|
13.8
|
4.8
|
17.1
|
9.5
|
.250
|
.108
|
122
|
42.5
|
July
|
112
|
20.5
|
6.7
|
20.5
|
10.7
|
.275
|
.085
|
142
|
55.7
|
August
|
115
|
11.4
|
11.8
|
15.7
|
8.7
|
.262
|
.132
|
132
|
55.6
|
September
|
40
|
12
|
0
|
5
|
10
|
.242
|
.084
|
53
|
61.8
|
Table 2 – Jonathan Johnson’s 2015 Platoon Splits
Split
|
PA
|
AB/XBH
|
HR/FB
|
BB%
|
K%
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
wRC+
|
GB%
|
LHP
|
157
|
21.7
|
4
|
10.2
|
11.5
|
.307
|
.061
|
112
|
51.7
|
RHP
|
356
|
11.8
|
7.8
|
17.1
|
8.1
|
.280
|
.128
|
140
|
54.8
|
Table 3 – Jonathan Johnson’s 2015 Splits by Batted Ball Type
Batted Ball Type
|
PA
|
BABIP
|
SAL BABIP
|
wOBA
|
SAL wOBA
|
FB
|
76
|
.137
|
.189
|
.237
|
.341
|
GB
|
207
|
.241
|
.252
|
.231
|
.243
|
LD
|
66
|
.719
|
.734
|
.808
|
.788
|
Table 4 – Jonathan Johnson 2015 Splits by Batted Ball
Direction
Batted Ball
Direction
|
PA
|
%
|
AB/XBH
|
BABIP
|
SAL BABIP*
|
wOBA
|
SAL wOBA*
|
GB%
|
Center
|
108
|
28.1
|
26
|
.290
|
.370
|
.282
|
.392
|
49.1
|
Opposite
|
72
|
18.7
|
9.7
|
.299
|
.320
|
.334
|
.334
|
37.7
|
Pull
|
205
|
53.2
|
9.5
|
.305
|
.302
|
.357
|
.372
|
63.2
|
*LHB only
Johnson
is 5’9”, so he’s not going to provide much power, but his eye and patience are
ridiculous. He’s drawn 99 walks since joining the Sand Gnats, and only whiffed
62 times, and he was the same hitter in Indy ball (124 K: 201 BB) and, to a
lesser extent, college (74 K: 75 BB). He’s not exactly a slap hitter though
either, as he pulled the ball on the ground ~1/3 of the time last year. He
posted a below average BABIP, especially for someone with average speed, but
what do you expect from someone pulling the ball on the ground so often. As you
can see from Table’s 3 and 4, he’s below average in most balls in play
situations, so his high walk rate and not striking out were key to his success.
He showed a big platoon advantage against RHP’s last year, hitting extra base
hits twice as often as against LHP’s, and posting a silly 8.1 K%: 17.1 BB%.
The way he has success against
RHP’s would be great off the bench, but having success as a 26-year old in the
SAL is a long way from a major league bench. Had he posted this season with
Savannah 3 years earlier, it would be easier to believe in a bench-role upside,
but 27-year olds who have yet to reach AA don’t often go on to reach the majors.
He got some time in Major League camp this Spring (including 1 PA), so maybe
the Mets high on him, but it’s not like there are going to be many infield PA’s
available between AA and AAA this year anyway. He’s a good fielder at 2B, and
also has experience at third base, shortstop and in the outfield, though I
haven’t seen him at any of those other positions. The odds of reaching the
majors are not in Johnson’s favor, but he’s still a good org. player to have
around. He’s a good presence in the clubhouse and example for the younger players,
and he can help St. Lucie win this year.
Fun fact: Johnson played little league with Mets C Travis d'Arnaud, and they are still best friends.
Fun fact: Johnson played little league with Mets C Travis d'Arnaud, and they are still best friends.
Astromets Mind Coverage
Goodbye Astronomy, Hello Greenland Glaciers - an #EarthExpedition blog https://t.co/nVrTQsI3UY pic.twitter.com/4B1N8z6Ep5— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) March 24, 2016
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