Pierce Johnson

Pierce Johnson

33-Year-Old PitcherRP
Atlanta Braves
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Johnson racked up 13 saves and 58 strikeouts over 39 innings for Colorado before the right-hander was traded to Atlanta in late-July. At the time of the trade, he had a 6.00 ERA and 1.85 WHIP, but Johnson was able to turn his season around for his new team. The 32-year-old delivered an impressive 0.76 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 32:5 K:BB ratio over his final 23.2 innings with the NL East champions. He finished the year with career-highs in multiple categories, including innings pitched (62.2), strikeouts (90) and holds (12), while also posting a 30-plus percent strikeout rate for the fourth straight year. Johnson's performance in the second half earned him a 2-year, $14.25 million contract extension with Atlanta, with whom he figures to pitch in a setup role in 2024. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Rest of Season
From Preseason
#392
ADP
$Signed a two-year, $14.25 million contract extension with Atlanta in October of 2023. Contract includes $7 million team option ($250,000 buyout) for 2026.
Picks up second save
PAtlanta Braves
August 25, 2024
Johnson recorded a save Saturday, pitching a perfect ninth inning against the Nationals.
ANALYSIS
Johnson entered the contest with a two-run lead in the top of the ninth and managed to retire the side on just four pitches to secure his second save of the campaign. The right-hander was able to take advantage of a rare save opportunity after Raisel Iglesias hurled three innings over Atlanta's previous two games and likely was in need of some rest. Johnson has not allowed any runs in each of his last four appearances, allowing two hits over that stretch while posting a 2:2 K:BB.
Read More News
Pitching Stats
Loading Pitching Stats...
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2018
2017
2024 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2023 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2022 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2021 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2020 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2018 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2017 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Pitching Game Log...
Minor League Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Loading Minor League Pitching Game Log...
Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
16
Last 10 Games
13
Last 5 Games
15
How many pitches does Pierce Johnson generally throw?
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
What part of the game does Pierce Johnson generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-12%
BAA vs LHP
2024
 
 
-21%
BAA vs LHP
2023
 
 
-2%
BAA vs LHP
2022
 
 
-21%
BAA vs LHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2022vs Left .227 244 87 31 48 10 0 10
Since 2022vs Right .258 333 91 32 77 14 1 7
2024vs Left .200 101 35 11 18 4 0 3
2024vs Right .252 135 32 14 30 4 1 3
2023vs Left .255 116 41 16 25 6 0 7
2023vs Right .259 161 49 14 38 8 0 3
2022vs Left .217 27 11 4 5 0 0 0
2022vs Right .273 37 10 4 9 2 0 1
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-46%
ERA on Road
2024
 
 
-19%
ERA on Road
2023
 
 
-45%
ERA on Road
2022
 
 
-100%
ERA on Road
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2022Home 5.14 1.43 68.1 4 9 11 11.1 3.8 1.3
Since 2022Away 2.77 1.38 65.0 5 5 4 13.0 4.7 1.0
2024Home 4.13 1.33 24.0 2 4 2 9.8 4.5 0.8
2024Away 3.34 1.27 32.1 4 2 0 11.4 3.6 1.1
2023Home 4.95 1.40 36.1 1 3 9 11.4 3.7 1.7
2023Away 2.73 1.59 26.1 1 3 4 15.0 5.1 1.0
2022Home 9.00 1.88 8.0 1 2 0 13.5 2.3 1.1
2022Away 0.00 1.11 6.1 0 0 0 12.8 8.5 0.0
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Pierce Johnson compare to other relievers?
This section compares his stats with all relief pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 30 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 30 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
2.68
 
K/9
10.7
 
BB/9
4.0
 
HR/9
1.0
 
Fastball
95.5 mph
 
ERA
3.67
 
WHIP
1.30
 
BABIP
.314
 
GB/FB
1.55
 
Left On Base
74.3%
 
Exit Velocity
82.7 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
4.8%
 
Spin Rate
2847 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
24.0%
 
Swinging Strike
12.2%
 
Advanced Pitching Stats
Loading Advanced Pitching Stats...
Defensive Stats
Loading MLB Defensive Stats...
Stats Vs Today's Lineup
Want more matchup stats?
Loading Matchup Stats...
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Subscribe Now
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Pierce Johnson See More
NL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week
93 days ago
Jan Levine brings you all the NL fallout from the trade deadline.
Closer Encounters: 2024 Relief Market Primer
104 days ago
Which relievers will be on the dealt over the course of the next week, and what are their most likely landing spots?
NL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week
121 days ago
Jan Levine has the lowdown on a few hitters who can definitely help your rosters.
NL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week
156 days ago
Jan Levine is urging you to check if a certain NL infielder is still available in your leagues.
Collette Calls: The State of Pitching
200 days ago
An early look at the state of pitching in 2024 reveals more wins going to relievers and a hint that scoring could be down this year compared to 2023.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
Elbow tendinitis limited Johnson to just 14.1 innings last season, but his solid body of work for San Diego in recent years earned him a one-year, $5 million deal from his hometown Rockies. The 32-year-old joins Colorado after compiling a 3.39 ERA and 125:44 K:BB ratio over 93 innings since 2020. Johnson's 32.2% strikeout rate over that span illustrates his upside, but that comes not without risk, as evidenced by his poor 11.3% walk rate and recent elbow injury. Still, Johnson is primed for a high-leverage role and could finally earn some save opportunities if closer Daniel Bard struggles or gets hurt.
San Diego was quick to exercise their $3 million team option on Johnson for 2022 after he posted the strongest campaign of his career last season. The 30-year-old pitched a career-high 58.2 innings that were accompanied by solid ratios (3.22 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) and a strong 11.8 K/9. The right-hander's 11.1% walk rate was a little high, but he still maintained an above-average 20.1% K-BB%. Johnson can bring the heat with a 96-mph fastball, but primarily throws a curveball 67.5% of the time and is among the league spin rate leaders on the pitch. His overall Statcast metrics are mostly above-average and he's deserving of a higher-leverage role for the Padres. The question that remains is whether he enters the save mix for new Padres manager Bob Melvin. Until he announces a closer, or San Diego signs a clear-cut guy, Johnson is a strong late-round flier for those speculating on saves.
After spending 2019 with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, Johnson returned stateside last season, joining the Padres on a two-year, $5 million contract with team option for 2022. The 2012 first-round pick was much more successful last season than he was during his prior spins through the majors, and a significant velocity jump is a big reason why. Johnson averaged 96.3 mph on his heater last season, up nearly three full ticks from where he was with San Francisco in 2018. The increased velocity and elite curveball spin helped Johnson to a 33.8 K%, a top-25 rate among qualified relievers. Johnson was even more dominant against lefties than he was against righties, but he only had one hold on the year and would need to leapfrog a small army to get consistent saves in 2021.
A first-round pick back in 2012 and for several years one of the Cubs' top pitching prospects, Johnson has yet to put things together in the majors. In 44.2 big-league innings for the Cubs and Giants in 2017 and 2018, he stumbled to a 5.44 ERA, a 19.7% strikeout rate and a 11.9% walk rate. There's reason to believe he'll be much better than that for the Padres this season, however. Rather than sticking around stateside and struggling to win a roster spot last offseason, he elected to head to Japan. A year later, that decision appears to be an excellent one. In 58.2 innings for the Hanshin Tigers, he looked like an entirely new pitcher, posting a 1.38 ERA and a 40.6% strikeout rate. Johnson had recorded strikeout rates north of 30% in his last two seasons in Triple-A, so it's not impossible that he'll be a strikeout arm and a high-leverage weapon this season despite his previous struggles in the majors.
Once a highly-rated prospect, Johnson spent the majority of the season as a 26-year-old reliever at Triple-A Iowa before being waived and claimed by the Giants in late September. His unremarkable 4.31 ERA at Triple-A hides some solid underlying numbers, as he struck out 31.6 percent of the batters he faced and posted a 3.43 FIP. Johnson's minor-league numbers have been solid at every stop outside of a disastrous 2016 season at Triple-A in which he registered a 6.14 ERA and 14.9 percent walk rate. Johnson will have to compete for a spot in the Giants' bullpen in camp. His solid strikeout numbers last season leave some hope that he could carve out a role a prominent role in time, but it's hard to see that happening in 2018.
Injuries hampered Johnson throughout 2016, limiting his workload to 22 appearances split between the rotation and the bullpen at Triple-A Iowa. Fortunately, he finished the season healthy, despite missing time with arm, lat, and hand ailments. Walks have been a problem for the 25-year-old at times in his development, but the shift to a relief role yielded excellent results as he bolstered his strikeout rate in shorter outings and reduced the impact of his free passes in the process. Johnson has an above-average mid-90s fastball and a very good curveball, with the potential to develop a changeup. If he's able to harness a third pitch, there is reason to believe that he can improve his effectiveness against lefties, who hit .323 against him last season. The Cubs will likely give Johnson an opportunity to earn a roster spot during spring training, and if everything clicks, he has the arsenal necessary to be a good late-inning reliever as soon as 2017.
Johnson has been one of the top pitching prospects for the Cubs for quite some time now, and with a 2.08 ERA for Double-A Tennessee last year, it's possible he's nearing his big-league debut. On the other hand, he was repeating the level as a 24-year-old, and despite the low ERA, his 72:32 K:BB in 95 innings was a bit lackluster. That his strikeout rate dropped to 6.8 K/9 last year is a bit of concern, but he missed the first two months of the year with a strained lat and he could have been compensating. He was still able to get hitters out in other ways, which bodes well for his future. Expect a healthy Johnson to start the year with Triple-A Iowa, with a callup on the horizon if he can sustain the improved control that he showed last season.
Everyone talks about all of the good hitting prospects in the Cubs' organization, but for some reason the pitchers get short shrift. With C.J. Edwards hurt most of the year and Kyle Hendricks promoted, Johnson may now be the best pitching prospect in the Cubs' minor league system. He struck out 91 in 91.2 innings with Double-A Tennessee, so there obviously is something there, but he also walked 54. The 23-year-old righty still has a little bit of work to do. Expect him to start the year with Tennessee, with a quick promotion to Triple-A Iowa if he keeps his walks down. This could be his last year in the minors.
While the Cubs' hitting prospects get all the ink, they have a few good pitchers coming up through the ranks as well, and Johnson may be the best of them all. Between Low-A Kane County and High-A Daytona, he had a stellar 9.4 K/9 and only gave up five home runs in 118.1 innings. While his K:BB ratio declined when he was promoted to Daytona, it was still respectable. Johnson is probably a year or two away, but when he comes up to the Cubs, he should be solid.
More Fantasy News
Nabs fourth win
PAtlanta Braves
August 1, 2024
Johnson (4-2) picked up the win Wednesday over the Brewers, allowing one hit and one walk over 1.1 scoreless innings. He struck out two.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Stuck with loss Thursday
PAtlanta Braves
July 26, 2024
Johnson (3-2) took the loss Thursday as Atlanta fell 3-2 in 10 innings to the Mets, giving up an unearned run on a hit and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out two.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Notches eighth hold
PAtlanta Braves
June 24, 2024
Johnson gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning Sunday to record his eighth hold of the season in a win over the Yankees.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Reinstated from IL
PAtlanta Braves
May 18, 2024
Atlanta reinstated Johnson (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Saturday.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Activation expected Saturday
PAtlanta Braves
Elbow
May 17, 2024
Johnson (elbow) is expected to be reinstated from the 15-day IL on Saturday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Could be dealt before deadline
PColorado Rockies
July 6, 2023
Johnson is among several pitchers that could leave the Rockies before the trade deadline if the right offer comes along, general manager Bill Schmidt told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post on Thursday.
ANALYSIS
The Rockies enter the deadline stretch in last place in the NL West and could listen to offers on veteran players, particularly those whose contracts are expiring at the end of the season, which is the case with Johnson. The 32-year-old could shore up the back of the bullpen for any contending team, and while his 6.49 ERA isn't exactly appealing, those numbers are inflated given he pitches in the most hitter-friendly environment in the majors. He's generating some interest, but the coming weeks will be pivotal to determine whether he ends up pitching for a different organization come August or not.
See All MLB Rumors