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.
Always largely hyped as a prospect, Johnson was selected in 2002 right after graduating high school. While spending a few years in the minor leagues, he finally made his major league debut at the end of the 2005 season. He pitched reasonably well during these first few games.
2006 was even better for Johnson, who finished the season with a 3.10 ERA and 12 wins. Johnson had started out the season as a reliever, but ended as a starter, and nearly finished with the league's best ERA. He nearly won rookie of the year too.
Then, in 2007, everything went the other way. In 4 starts, he went 0-3, with a 7.47 ERA. In August after struggling with his elbow for most of the year, he got Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery. In rehab, things went surprisingly fast. He was able to return a swift, 11 months after the surgery, right back into the Marlins rotation on July 10, 2008.
Fast forward to 2009, and Johnson is one of the best pitchers in baseball. With a 2.85 ERA and 12 wins for the playoff contending Marlins, there's not much not to like about Johnson's performance. He is truly one of the best in baseball this season.
Much of the Marlins' resurgence in 2009 should be credited to Johnson. Every successful team needs an ace, and the Marlins have one in Johnson.
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.
Always largely hyped as a prospect, Johnson was selected in 2002 right after graduating high school. While spending a few years in the minor leagues, he finally made his major league debut at the end of the 2005 season. He pitched reasonably well during these first few games.
2006 was even better for Johnson, who finished the season with a 3.10 ERA and 12 wins. Johnson had started out the season as a reliever, but ended as a starter, and nearly finished with the league's best ERA. He nearly won rookie of the year too.
Then, in 2007, everything went the other way. In 4 starts, he went 0-3, with a 7.47 ERA. In August after struggling with his elbow for most of the year, he got Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery. In rehab, things went surprisingly fast. He was able to return a swift, 11 months after the surgery, right back into the Marlins rotation on July 10, 2008.
Fast forward to 2009, and Johnson is one of the best pitchers in baseball. With a 2.85 ERA and 12 wins for the playoff contending Marlins, there's not much not to like about Johnson's performance. He is truly one of the best in baseball this season.
Much of the Marlins' resurgence in 2009 should be credited to Johnson. Every successful team needs an ace, and the Marlins have one in Johnson.
About the Author:
If you're an MLB enthusiast or interested in any other sport, come and visit the sports forum at RootZoo, where you can play in fantasy baseball leagues, answer sports trivia questions, and lots more.
0 comments:
Post a Comment