ANAHEIM -- This time last year, Ryan Johnson was a junior at Dallas Baptist University with scant college experience. On Tuesday, he officially became a Major Leaguer.
The Angels announced that Johnson, a 22-year-old right-hander whom they drafted in the second round last year, will break camp with the big club. They drafted him with the compensatory pick received after Shohei Ohtani left in free agency. The pair faced off Monday night during the teams’ Spring Training matchup – with Johnson striking out the two-way superstar looking.
“He proved that he matured, even though he hadn’t had any professional experience,” manager Ron Washington said. “He throws strikes, and he’s not afraid, and he makes adjustments. I just think he can fit good in our bullpen. We didn’t give him anything, he took the job.”
So at what point this spring – when Johnson pitched to a 3.97 ERA in six games – did the righty think he had a shot at breaking camp?
“Not even now do I really think it’s possible,” Johnson, the Angels’ No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, said Tuesday. “There wasn’t really a point where I was just like, ‘I’m close, I think I’m almost there.’ It never even crossed my mind.”
“It’s a crazy road,” he said of his quick ascent. “It’s just unreal, not at all how I pictured it. Thought it would be more [like] three, four years down the road and just planning for the long haul. But it’s just crazy, going fast.”
Tuesday, the crazy road led him into Ron Washington's office, where general manager Perry Minasian and Washington gave him the news straight and without any sort of drama.
"Wash and Perry in there, just sat me down and like, 'Here it is, you made the team,'" Johnson said. "Just a surreal moment, just unreal. Just come back here [to the clubhouse], texted so many people I know, my wife, like, 'Hey, I just did this.' It’s crazy."
Now, Johnson will join the big league club despite having zero games of professional baseball experience -- after being drafted last year, he did not play in the Angels' Minor League system. He is the 24th player in MLB history to go straight from the Draft to the Majors without any Minor League games, and the first since Garrett Crochet in 2020. The last Angel to do it had been lefty Jim Abbott in 1989.
Johnson also has the chance to extend the Angels’ streak of featuring the first draftee to debut in the Majors from four consecutive Drafts, following Nolan Schanuel in 2023, Zach Neto in ‘22 and Chase Silseth in '21.
Minasian said the club views Johnson as a starter eventually, but will use him out of the bullpen to start.
“He’s earned it. He’s pitched very well all spring,” Minasian said on Tuesday, before the Angels’ 4-1 loss against the Dodgers at Angel Stadium. “He’s handled himself like a pro. Work ethic is exactly what we expected out of the draft. We feel like he’s got weapons for both sides, and he’s somebody that can help us win baseball games.”
Asked if he felt that the talent gap between the Minor and Major leagues had narrowed in recent years, Washington gave an emphatic “no.” He said that makes Johnson’s story even more impressive.
“Sometimes, special kids come through the pipe. And we feel Johnson is special,” Washington said. “Now, it’s going to be up to him to go out there between the white lines and prove us right. He won this job. He wasn’t somebody we said we wanted to give an opportunity to and see what happens.
“He deserves to go out there. He deserves to get this opportunity,” Washington continued. “Because, number one, he throws strikes. Number two, he’s mature, in his young professional career, and I don't think anything that happens out there will bother him. And if he finds himself in a bad position, we’re going to do like we would do with anybody else – remove him out of that bad position.”
Angels announce slew of roster moves
Minasian announced a flurry of other roster moves prior to the Angels’ Spring Training finale against the Dodgers on Tuesday:
Outfielder Mickey Moniak, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick, was released, while Tim Anderson, Kyren Paris and Rule 5 Draft pick Garrett McDaniels all made the team. Left-handers Angel Perdomo and José Quijada were designated for assignment.
The Angels also signed veteran Nicky Lopez to a one-year contract. He will play all infield positions outside of catcher, Washington said, with Anderson and Kevin Newman also slotting into second base and shortstop while Neto rehabs from offseason surgery. Paris will be the fourth outfielder, playing once or twice a week to start.
The Angels have one remaining roster spot. Minasian said they are waiting to make a final decision on third baseman Yoán Moncada, who is nursing a sore right thumb. Moncada took batting practice Tuesday afternoon but has not seen game action in two weeks.
If Moncada is not ready for Opening Day, Matthew Lugo is a likely candidate to win the final spot.