Phils prospect Johnson embracing new role in the bullpen

This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

A couple weeks ago, Seth Johnson was in the trainer’s room in the visitors’ clubhouse at Triple-A Gwinnett when Lehigh Valley manager Anthony Contreras tapped him on the shoulder.

“Come to my office,” Contreras said.

“My first thought was I got traded again,” Johnson said this weekend.

The Orioles had traded Johnson and Moisés Chace to the Phillies last July for left-hander Gregory Soto. The Rays had traded Johnson to the Orioles in a three-team trade in 2022.

No, Johnson had not been traded again. Instead, the Phillies asked him to make a change. They wanted him to move from the rotation to the bullpen.

“I was kind of relieved,” said Johnson, who is the Phillies’ No. 12 prospect. “I didn’t have to pack up my whole life again. You kind of know that something like [moving to the bullpen] can always happen. And just with my roster status and stuff, it made a lot of sense to me.”

While there is no such thing as too much starting pitching depth, the Phillies like what they have in the organization. They have Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Aaron Nola, Jesús Luzardo, Ranger Suárez and Taijuan Walker at the big league level. Top prospect Andrew Painter could push for a job this summer.

That’s seven deep right there.

They also have Mick Abel (No. 8), Kyle Tyler, Alan Rangel and Nabil Crismatt in Triple-A.

But the Phillies don’t have a ton of options for the bullpen, which has leaked oil the first few weeks of the season. The Phils thought Johnson’s fastball-slider combo could translate to success as a reliever.

They think he might help.

“I know this year it was kind of a possibility,” Johnson said. “I thought maybe later in the season, but I’m kind of happy it’s happening after a month so I can become comfortable with it the entire year.

“As a starter, my usages were kind of on par with most relievers -- a lot of fastball, slider. After Tommy John [surgery in Aug. 2022], I kind of struggled to get that third pitch locked in. That’s what separates starters and relievers is having that third pitch. I just haven’t been able to consistently find that third pitch.”

Johnson has made two relief appearances so far for the IronPigs. He has struck out five and walked three in three scoreless and hitless innings.

“The main thing is get hot and don’t really try to feel out your pitches when you’re warming up,” Johnson said. “As a starter in the bullpen, you’re trying to feel everything out, trying to make sure you’ve got your slider location. But when you’re in the bullpen it’s more like, ‘Get going.’ It’s just getting on top of things a little quicker.”

Johnson’s fastball averaged 95.1 mph in his four starts with Lehigh Valley. In his two relief appearances, it has averaged 96.4 mph.

The stuff has jumped as expected.

Johnson has learned that relieving is different. There is the adrenaline jump jogging in from the bullpen in the middle of the game. He remembers throwing too hard in his first inning in his first appearance on April 22.

“I was trying to be the nastiest pitcher on the planet,” he said.

He settled in after that.

But it’s been fun.

“I like the fact that I’ll be able to impact games more often,” he said. “I like suiting up every day. I like being in tune with the game every night.”

And this could get him to the big leagues quicker, too. Relievers on the 40-man roster include right-handers Brett de Geus, Max Lazar, Michael Mercado and Devin Sweet.

“That’s something AC and Luke [Murton] talked about in the meeting,” Johnson said, referring to the Phillies’ player development director. “This is probably the best path to get up there and stay up there. And, you know, our big league team is pretty dang good. So if I get to be a contributor to a World Series team, that’s the ultimate goal.”