So many great pitchers in 2009! Lincecum, Carpenter, Cain, Kershaw in the NL, and then you have pitchers like Beckett and Verlander in the AL. But what about Josh Johnson? With an ERA in the 2s and a consistently dominant season, Johnson gets little due for what he's become.
Add Johnson's stats to the fact that he had Tommy John surgery in late 2007, and everything becomes all the more impressive. How many pitchers can successfully recover from Tommy John surgery? Very few. And Johnson has bounced back, pitching the best baseball of his career ever since.
Unless you play fantasy baseball or are a big baseball buff you probably haven't realized how good he's been or even known who he is. Well it's been a winding road for Josh to get here.
Having been drafted straight out of high school seven years ago, expectations were always high for Johnson, who spent three years in the Marlins' farm system before finally being called up to the majors during the last month of the 2005 baseball season. Johnson got off to a nice start, with four respectable outings.
The next season, Johnson found great success on the mound. The rookie finished with a 12-7 win-loss record and a 3.10 earned run average, almost best in the National League. This is a huge feat for any rookie pitcher, and if not for the fine performances of teammates Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla, Johnson easily could have won a rookie of the year award that season.
Trouble struck in 2007. With a flaring elbow condition that seemed to worsen through the season, Johnson struggled throughout the year and eventually opted for surgery. Tommy John surgery. Usually a kiss of death, Johnson healed quickly and was back in action late last season.
The rest? It's history. Tonight, Johnson got another great start, going 7.1 innings, giving up only one hit, one earned run, and racking up 11 Ks. With a Mid-90s fastball, a strong slider, and a solid change-up, and being an imposing 6'7'' he's a huge reason for the Marlins being in contention.
Johnson has been the most valuable Marlins pitcher this season, and quite possibly the most valuable player - though with Hanley Ramirez on your team, it's hard to definitively say that. Where he goes from here will be interesting, but with Johnson's talent, he may very well get better.
Add Johnson's stats to the fact that he had Tommy John surgery in late 2007, and everything becomes all the more impressive. How many pitchers can successfully recover from Tommy John surgery? Very few. And Johnson has bounced back, pitching the best baseball of his career ever since.
Unless you play fantasy baseball or are a big baseball buff you probably haven't realized how good he's been or even known who he is. Well it's been a winding road for Josh to get here.
Having been drafted straight out of high school seven years ago, expectations were always high for Johnson, who spent three years in the Marlins' farm system before finally being called up to the majors during the last month of the 2005 baseball season. Johnson got off to a nice start, with four respectable outings.
The next season, Johnson found great success on the mound. The rookie finished with a 12-7 win-loss record and a 3.10 earned run average, almost best in the National League. This is a huge feat for any rookie pitcher, and if not for the fine performances of teammates Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla, Johnson easily could have won a rookie of the year award that season.
Trouble struck in 2007. With a flaring elbow condition that seemed to worsen through the season, Johnson struggled throughout the year and eventually opted for surgery. Tommy John surgery. Usually a kiss of death, Johnson healed quickly and was back in action late last season.
The rest? It's history. Tonight, Johnson got another great start, going 7.1 innings, giving up only one hit, one earned run, and racking up 11 Ks. With a Mid-90s fastball, a strong slider, and a solid change-up, and being an imposing 6'7'' he's a huge reason for the Marlins being in contention.
Johnson has been the most valuable Marlins pitcher this season, and quite possibly the most valuable player - though with Hanley Ramirez on your team, it's hard to definitively say that. Where he goes from here will be interesting, but with Johnson's talent, he may very well get better.
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