Former Cubs Pitching Prospect Starting To Shine With New Organization

In the 15th round of the 2023 MLB draft, the Chicago Cubs selected pitcher Ty Johnson out of Ball State University.

His collegiate stats didn’t jump off the page, but the Cubs saw something they liked and added him to their organization. He got off to a strong start in Single-A Myrtle Beach through 10 appearances, which prompted a promotion to High-A South Bend.

Johnson more than held his own, but he was on the move once again, this time not because of a promotion, but because of a trade.

The Cubs agreed to a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, acquiring third baseman Isaac Paredes in exchange for Johnson, right-handed pitcher Hunter Bigge and the versatile utility man, Christopher Morel.

Paredes’s stay with Chicago was a short one. He was part of the offseason blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros that brought All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker to the Cubs.

Because the veteran third baseman helped Chicago land a coveted superstar, there likely isn’t many regrets from their trade with the Rays that included Johnson.

Former Cubs Prospect Ty Johnson Thriving With Rays

But, given their lack of pitching depth within the organization currently, with few standouts, there has to be some regret that someone else wasn’t included, with the Ball State product now regarded as a top 100 prospect and coming into his own with the Rays.

“He’s fanned 15 over nine scoreless innings in his two most recent starts for Montgomery, and his most recent five-frame performance on Saturday marked his longest outing of the young season,” wrote Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com in a piece highlighting the hottest pitching prospect for each team in May.

Johnson was excellent in 2024 with Tampa Bay, making six appearances and throwing 23 innings, allowing only two earned runs for a minuscule 0.78 ERA with 39 strikeouts.

The uptick in strikeouts, after having a 10.2 K/9 ratio in college, was impressive to see. He has continued building upon that in 2025, with a 13.9 K/9, fanning 42 batters in 27.1 total innings at Double-A Montgomery.

“Utilizing a plus fastball and above-average slider, Johnson owns a 3.62 ERA over nine appearances (three starts), and his 38.5 percent K rate is third-best in the Southern League (min. 25 IP) behind Top 100 talents Chase Burns (42.5) and Hagen Smith (39.3),” they added at MLB.com.

The No. 20-ranked prospect in Tampa Bay’s organization, he should see a massive jump up when the list is updated and could get more national exposure too if he keeps up this form.