Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ryan Johnson (32) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the tenth inning at Busch Stadium on March 31. Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Angels Rookie Does Something Only Seen Four Times in Franchise History

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Apr 1, 2025 12:38 PM ET

The Los Angeles Angels beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 in 10 innings on Monday night. The win moved the Halos to 3-1 on the young season.

Mike Trout had two RBIs while Tyler Anderson delivered five innings of three-run ball. Rookie Ryan Johnson earned the save. It was his first career save after he made the roster without throwing a single pitch in the minor leagues.

His save also made some unique team history, according to the Angels PR team.

Ryan Johnson is the 4th pitcher in #Angels history to record a save within his first two career games:
Marcus Gwyn (2nd game): 8/21/07 vs. NYY (3 IP in 18-9 win)
Stew Cliburn (2nd game): 4/26/85 @ SEA (4 IP in 11-3 win)
Luis Sanchez (2nd game): 4/11/81 @ SEA (0.2 IP in 7-4 win)

Ryan Johnson is the 4th pitcher in #Angels history to record a save within his first two career games:
Marcus Gwyn (2nd game): 8/21/07 vs. NYY (3 IP in 18-9 win)
Stew Cliburn (2nd game): 4/26/85 @ SEA (4 IP in 11-3 win)
Luis Sanchez (2nd game): 4/11/81 @ SEA (0.2 IP in 7-4 win)
— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) April 1, 2025

Johnson was a second-round compensatory selection last season out of Dallas Baptist. He threw in six spring training games this spring, pitching to a 3.97 ERA. He struck out 10 batters in 11.1 innings.

He is ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the organization, per MLB Pipeline. The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Ryan set his own school records in strikeouts for a season and career. His junior year ended with a 2.21 ERA and an impressive 10.8 K/9 ratio. All of the numbers, however, came from a delivery that scared scouts. The Angels weren’t afraid enough to let him get by their compensation pick after the second round in the 2024 Draft, going over slot to sign him for $1.75 million.

The Angels and Cardinals will play again on Tuesday night.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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