In his second full pro season, Chase Johnson starting to find his role

Chase Johnson is finding a groove this season for the San Jose Giants. By Owen Main

It was just two years ago.

Cal Poly baseball was in the midst of a 40-win season. The UCLA regional featured a potent UCLA team, a San Diego team with a guy named Kris Bryant, and the upstart Mustangs.

Cal Poly would lose their last two games in heartbreaking fashion, but dig deeper into the box score and you’ll see one thing all the games had in common.

Chase Johnson relieved in all three games. Chase Johnson didn’t give up any runs in his 4 1/3 innings at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Chase Johnson was really good.

The Giants thought highly enough of the right-handed junior out of Fallbrook to select him in the third round (101st overall) in the 2013 draft just days after his regional performance. Since then, they’ve moved him to a starting role — a position he didn’t ever find himself in during his time in San Luis Obispo.

What’s been his biggest adjustment over the past few years?

“I was a reliever in college so last year, just getting into the routine of a starter and trying to get in good rhythm,” said Johnson. “There’s a big learning curve going from reliever to starter… . A lot of it’s mental for me. I kind of get pumped up as a reliever because you’ve only got one or two innings, but as a starter it’s more about being calm and collected and just try to be even-keeled throughout the whole game.”

After appearing in 13 games in 2013, Johnson spent the entirety of last season in the Giants’ class A team in Augusta, Georgia. In Augusta, Johnson started 22 games in 2014, striking out more than twice as many hitters as he walked en route to a 4-7 record and a 4.57 ERA.

This year, Johnson earned a promotion to High-A San Jose, where he has improved markedly. Batters are hitting just .245 against him so far this year, and he has struck out 39 batters in 40 1/3 innings en route to a 2.68 ERA.

On Sunday, Johnson started against Rancho Cucamonga on a hot San Jose afternoon. While he didn’t earn a decision, he certainly pitched well enough. Using his 93 mile per hour fastball effectively, Johnson mowed down nine Quakes hitters in just 5 2/3 innings, before leaving the game after 95 pitches. The Giants’ bullpen promptly gave up the lead, but his team came back to win the game and eventually sweep the four-game series against the Quakes.

What was working for him on Sunday afternoon?

“Fastball location was working really well today and changeup slider mix,” said Johnson. “I kept going in a lot and just try and keep them off balance.”

Johnson is currently ranked 22nd in the Giants’ organization on MLB Pipeline’s prospect watch. He was also listed 19th by Fangraphs and 20th by Baseball America, according to this McCovey Chronicles post.

Photos by Owen Main