Joshua Johnson is a professional baseball player from the United States of America and plays as a starting pitcher. Johnson began his playing career at the Jenks High School where he was named as the 2002 Tulsa World All Metro Player of the Year. Led by his inspired performances, the Trojans went on to win two State Championship titles before graduating from high school.
At the 2002 MLB Amateur Draft, Johnson was picked in the fourth round by the Florida Marlins and decided to forego his entire college career and play for the Marlins.
Soon he made his debut for the Gulf Coast Marlins where he pitched in just over 15 innings at an ERA of 0.60 only. Johnson joined the Greensboro Grasshoppers in the low Single-A division for the 2003 season and was phenomenal in restricting opposing batsmen to just .223 against him. Johnson was moving up the chain quite fast and in 2004, he was a part of the Jupiter Hammerheads in the Single-A division.
| Team |
Miami Marlins
|
| Position | Pitcher |
| Born | 31 Jan 1984 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Team History | |
|
Miami Marlins
|
2005 - present |
Johnson’s win-loss record of 5-12 wasn’t a true indicator of the season he had although his 3.38 ERA was good enough to earn a promotion into the AA-Division with the Carolina Mudcats. Johnson was truly built for the big time as he romped his way to a 12-4 record with a 3.87 ERA that earned him the Minor League Pitcher of the Year as well as got him into the Southern League All-Star team.
In September of 2005, Johnson got his first call-up to the big league and he went on to pitch a scoreless inning as a relief pitcher, against the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2006, Johnson finally got an extended run at the big league and it was here that he made a true mark for himself. Starting off for the Marlins, Johnson had a sensational season with a 3.03 ERA and an 11-5 win-loss record to add to the success that was becoming a trademark of the young pitching team.
At the end of the season, Johnson was just 5 innings short of the ERA title in the National League and was fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year awards. Johnson, along with Scott Olsen, Anibal Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco, notched up at least 10 wins each to become the first quartet of rookie pitchers to do so in the history of the major league.
Johnson became a regular fixture in the Marlins roster but in 2007, he was forced to deal with serious elbow issues. Johnson was forced to undergo surgery on his elbow and in 11-months, quicker than expected, he was back on the mound and pitching for the Marlins. Finding his way back into the team, Johnson quickly picked up from where he had left off and was back in the fray as one of the best pitchers in the National League.
The 2009 season would end in the best possible manner for Johnson as he got picked to the National League All-Star squad. Since fans do not vote for the pitchers, Johnson was chosen by fellow players, coaches and managers, making the selection all the more meaningful.
