Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Rays Star Prospect Named Pitcher of the Year in Double-A Southern League

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Given their limited resources when it comes to spending money on their roster, the only way for the Tampa Bay Rays to be competitive is to develop affordable talent in the minor leagues.

It is something they have excelled at in recent years, remaining more competitive than most people would have ever guessed. Whether it is a player they drafted or someone acquired in a trade that has spent their developmental years with the Rays, they continue to pump out useful talent.

One of the players who could pay dividends for the team in the near future is starting pitcher Ty Johnson. He was acquired as part of the trade package, along with Christopher Morel and pitcher Hunter Bigge, from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes ahead of the MLB trade deadline last year.

A 15th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Johnson wasted no time making a name for himself despite his draft pedigree. In his first taste of professional baseball in 2024, he made 24 appearances, 13 of which were starts, throwing 84 innings.

He registered an impressive 2.79 ERA with 120 strikeouts. His 12.9 K/9 ratio caught the attention of many. In six appearances after landing with Tampa Bay, he had 39 strikeouts in only 23 innings of work. He had only four walks and a 0.78 ERA.

Ty Johnson dominated his first season at Double-A

That was enough to earn him a promotion to Double-A Montgomery in 2025 after spending 2024 with Single-A and High-A. Moving up a level did nothing to slow down his momentum, dominating the Southern League.

Johnson performed so well that he was named the Pitcher of the Year. He was also named to the Southern League All-Star Team. Both honors were well deserved for how well he performed.

“Among pitchers with at least 100 innings, the Rays' No. 19 prospect ranked first with a 2.33 FIP and 34.7 percent strikeout rate and second with a 2.61 ERA. The 6-foot-6 righty had more strikeouts than innings pitched in 20 of his 26 outings and gave up more than three runs only twice all season,” wrote Ben Weinrib of MLB.com.

Thanks to a from @RaysBaseball prospect Ty Johnson, @BiscuitBaseball is a win away from the Southern League crown:
6 IP
4 H
1 R
1 BB
5 K pic.twitter.com/XXj02jtO7s
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 21, 2025

The No. 94-ranked prospect by Baseball Prospectus coming into the 2025 campaign, he could pop up a lot more lists during the 2026 preseason. He threw 110.1 innings for Montgomery this year and looks ready for the next challenge at Triple-A Durham.

Along with his 2.61 ERA, Johnson had 149 strikeouts compared to only 38 walks. His 5.4 H/9 and 0.4 HR/9 ratios were both excellent as well. The Rays look to have a good one on their hands from the Paredes deal, which they won easily after the Cubs traded him this past offseason.