Full name ELLIOT TYLER JOHNSON...Married, Nicole...One son, Blake, and twin daughters, Hazel and Skylar...Graduated from Thatcher (Ariz.) High School...Was inducted to the inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class during the 2011-2012 offseason...Proposed to his wife in April 2006 while standing between the mound and home plate at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Ala...Was offered a basketball scholarship to Mesa (Ariz.) Community College and a football scholarship to Eastern Arizona College and owns a 42-inch vertical jump...Although three of his four brothers were drafted, Elliot, who was a non-drafted free agent, is the only one to reach the Majors...Gives one-on-one hitting lessons and fielding instruction to players ages 8 through college in Durham during the offseason...Hails from the same hometown as former Indians OF Beau Allred... Twitter: @ElliotJohnson9
2013
Split the season between Kansas City and Atlanta after being traded from Tampa Bay to KC in the off-season...Claimed on waivers by the Braves on August 21 and was Atlanta's primary second baseman over the last six weeks of the season and started all four games at second of the ALDS vs. Los Angeles-NL...After batting .179 (29-162) with KC he hit .261 (24-92) with seven extra-base hits, 10 RBI and eight stolen bases in 32 games, including 23 starts, with Atlanta....Was 22-for-24 in stolen base attempts in 2013... Hit .277 (18-65) in September with Atlanta (.712OPS) and drove in a career-high 5 runs on September 29 vs. Philadelphia...Hit 2-run triple off Danny Salazar in the 2nd inning of a 2-0 win on August 27 vs. Cleveland in Turner Field...Has played every infield and outfield position over four seasons at the Major League level, making the most appearances at SS (164) and 2B (97)...Claimed off waivers by the Braves on 8/21 from the Kansas City Royals
2012
Spent his second full season at the big league level for the Rays...appeared in a career-best 123 games, including
making 80 starts (68 at short, 8 at second, 3 at third, 1 as DH)...With third baseman Evan Longoria sidelined from May 1-August 6, Sean Rodriguez shifted from shortstop to
third base and Johnson played in 81 of 85 games including 67 starts, mostly at short...As a starter, hit .263 (70-for-266) with 16 stolen bases...off the bench, was just 2-for-31 (.065) including 0-for-8
as a pinch hitter...Made his first career Opening Day start as the second baseman on April 6 against the Yankees.
2011
Spent his first full season in the majors...appeared in 70 games, making 41 starts (37-SS,
4-2B), 26 against left-handed pitchers...also appeared at first base (2 games), left field (1) and
center field (1)...His best month was May, when he hit .286 (10-
for-35) with 2 HR, 7 RBI and 4 SB in 14 games...
hit his first 2 career homers in consecutive
games, May 15 vs. BAL off Jake Arrieta and
May 17 vs. NYY off Ivan Nova...went 2-for-3 with
his first career triple and a career-high 3 RBI
(later tied) on May 18 at TOR...Spent 16 games on the disabled list with a left
knee sprain...was placed on the 15-day DL on
May 25, retroactive to May 24...at the time of
his injury, was hitting .306 (11-for-36) over his
last 15 games played (9 starts), dating back
to April 30...was reinstated on June 18 after a 2-game rehab assignment with Triple-A
Durham...After his return from the DL, went 0-for-25 until hitting a 3-run homer on June 22 at MIL...batted .149 (14-for-49) in 44 games from his return
through season's end...Collected his first career major league RBI with
a bunt single on April 3 vs. BAL...recorded his
first career stolen base on May 3 vs. TOR, after
stealing 196 bases in the minors...Ejected for the first time of his career on July 1
vs. STL by 1B umpire Doug Eddings in the 8th
inning while on the bench...Collected his first career walk-off RBI on
Aug 24 vs. DET on a bases-loaded fielder's
choice in the 10th inning, scoring Ben Zobrist...Made his second Opening Day roster (also
2008) after earning the Al Lopez Award as the
top Rays rookie in spring training, the first ever
to win the award twice (also 2008)...led the majors with 12 SB (in 12 attempts) during spring
training, which broke Carl Crawford's club record of 9 SB (2003).
2010
Spent the entire season with Triple-A Durham,
the fourth straight year he has appeared in
games with the Bulls...was recognized as
the team's Most Valuable Player by the Rays
Baseball Operations department.
... Named to the Triple-A All-Star Game, held in
Allentown, Pa., and delivered a game-winning
single in the 2-1 victory for the International
League ... was also named to the IL postseason
All-Star Team as a utility player.
... Played four different positions but saw the
most time at SS (64 games) ... also played LF
(21), 2B (16) and RF (14).
... Hit a career-high .319 (136-for-427), which
ranked 3rd in the Rays system and 4th in the
IL...also established career highs with 56 RBI,
.375 OBP and .475 SLG.
... Was successful in 30 of 36 stolen base attempts
(83.3 percent) ... finished tied for 5th in
the IL in SB.
... Switch-hitter compiled a .347 (35-for-101)
avg. vs. lefthanders, compared to .301 (101-
for-326) against righties ... however, 10 of his
11 HR came vs. RHP.
... Appeared in 27 games during spring training,
playing SS, 2B, 3B and all three outfield positions...
was removed from the 40-man roster
and outrighted to Durham at the end of camp.
... Following the season played for Mazatlan of
the Mexican Winter League ... was selected to
the 40-man roster in November.
2009
Returned to Triple-A Durham for a third season...
saw action at five different positions for
the International League champion Bulls: 2B,
3B, SS, LF and RF.
...Missed 2 months with a fractured right thumb
he suffered on April 30 (no surgery required).
...Had a 10-day stint with the GCL Rays on rehabilitation
assignment.
...Returned to the Bulls lineup July 5 and enjoyed
his best month of the season, batting .305 with
6 homers and 16 RBI...had a two-homer game
July 28 at Scranton-Wilkes-Barre (Yankees).
2008
Twenty-four-year-old switch-hitter won a spot
on the Opening Day roster after one of the best
springs in club history and with Ben Zobrist
nursing a broken left thumb...appeared in 7
games before the Rays optioned him to AAA
Durham on April 27, calling up Andy Cannizaro...
spent the rest of the year with Durham, his
second season with the Bulls.
Hit .158 (3-19) in the majors...started in 5
games (SS-2, 2B-1, CF-1, RF-1, DH-1).
Made his major league debut April 5 at NYY,
the Rays 4th game of the season, as the DH
and batting 9th...lined a single to LF in his 2nd
at-bat off Andy Pettitte for his first big league
hit...was then picked off...started in RF in the
home opener April 8 vs. SEA for his first career
start in the field, going 0-for-3 off Erik Bedard.
Made his first start in the infield April 12 vs.
BAL, starting at shortstop and going 1-for-3.
Made his first start at second base on April 15
vs. NYY, going 1-for-4...2 of his 3 hits on the
year came off Andy Pettitte.
Recipient of the 2008 Al Lopez Award for the
top Rays rookie in Spring Training...set a Rays
spring record with 17 runs scored and led the
team with a .418 avg. and 23 hits...also played
in a team-high 117 innings, seeing action at
2B, 3B, SS, CF.
Bowled over Yankees catcher Francisco
Cervelli March 8 at Legends Field in the 9th inning
of a spring contest...was called out at the
plate and Cervelli's right wrist was fractured...
Rays won 4-1.
Hit .261 (101-387) over 107 games for the Bulls
with 9-HR, 50-RBI, 26-2B, 15-SB and a .424
slugging pct...played primarily 2B and also
spent significant time at SS, RF and LF...hit in
every slot of the batting order except cleanup.
Went 5-for-5 on July 23 at Lehigh Valley.
2006
Montgomery's Player of the Year led the Biscuits with a career-high 139 hits in his first full
season at the AA level...was the fifth most hits in the Southern League and 6th most among
Rays minor leaguers...Also set career highs in average (.281), triples (10) and home runs (15)...was 3rd in the league
with 225 total bases...entered the year with 18 total home runs for his career in 1,297 AB's...Was one of only six minor leaguers, and just one of two at the AA level, to record double
digits in doubles (21), triples and homers...led the organization in triples, 2nd most in the
Southern League...Named the starting second baseman on
Baseball America's Double-A All-Star squad...Opened the season with 31 hits in April, tied for tops in the SL that month...Had a career night April 26 against Birmingham (White Sox)...was 3-for-5 with 2 doubles, a game-winning grand slam and a career-high 6 RBI...was the first ever grand slam by a Biscuit at Riverwalk Stadium and the first of Johnson's career...also proposed to his wife (see personal)...Followed that up on May 6 belting the game-winning 3-run HR against Mississippi (Braves)...Was awarded the league's hitter of the week that week (May 1-7) batting .435 (10-for-23) with 2 triples, 3 home runs, 6 RBI and 8 runs scored...Collected his third career multi-homer game April 18 with a pair of solo shots against Huntsville (Brewers)...Missed a week (June 12-20) on the disabled list with a left groin strain suffered June 11 at Carolina (Marlins)...Committed the 2nd fewest errors (13) among all regular second basemen in the Southern
League...finished 3rd among league second basemen with a .976 fielding percentage (min. 300 TC)...Was involved in a league-most 89 double plays...Named the starting second baseman at the Southern League's midseason All-Star game...batted leadoff and went 1-for-5 with a RBI playing the entire game...POSTSEASON: Batted .375 (12-for-32) for the Biscuits during Montgomery's championship
run hitting safely in all 7 games he played in. Led the club with 3 doubles. Capped off his
season hitting for the cycle in the deciding game of the SL championship series, becoming the
first player in Biscuits history to hit for the cycle and the sixth Ray ever to accomplish the feat...Had a bunt single in the 1st inning, triple in the 3rd inning, 2-run home run in the 4th inning and double in the 7th.
2005
Split the 2005 season between single-A Visalia and Montgomery...Batted a combined .267
with 19 doubles, 9 triples (2nd most among Rays minor leaguers), 11 home runs, 54 RBI and
43 stolen bases (3rd most among Rays minor leaguers)...was one of only 8 minor leaguers
to hit 10 or more HR and steal 40 or more bases...his 28 steals with Visalia were 2nd most
in the Cal League...provided the walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning June 24 vs. Tennessee
(Cardinals) and again Aug 27 vs. Mississippi...Batted .203 with 4 SB for the Arizona Fall League
champion Phoenix Desert Dogs...Named the Fastest Baserunner in the Cal League by
Baseball
America's Best Tools survey...led all minor league second basemen with 30 errors.
2004
Returned to single-A Charleston in 2004 where he was the starting second basemen on the
South Atlantic League's midseason All-Star team...Led the organization with 43 stolen bases,
4th most in the South Atlantic League...his 92 runs scored were 5th most in the league...Hit
in a career-high 14 straight April 14-May 1...Tabbed by Baseball America as having the best
strike-zone discipline in the Rays organization...Homered in his first three at-bats coming in the
1st, 2nd and 3rd innings May 28 at Greensboro (Marlins); had also gone deep in his final at-bat
the night before in the 9th inning giving him four consecutive home runs in four consecutive
innings...though it is unknown if any other minor leaguer has accomplished the feat, only one
major leaguer, the White Sox's Carl Reynolds in 1930, has homered in the first three innings of
a game...Johnson had just 3 career home runs entering the three homer game.
2003
Was limited to 54 games with Charleston in 2003...missed over 2 months with a strained
left hamstring suffered April 18 against Augusta...returned June 26 and batted just .204 in 40 games over the remainder of the season.
2002
Began his professional career with Princeton (R) in 2002 batting .263 with 10 doubles and 14
stolen bases in 42 games...hit safely in 27 of his 37 starts.
