American pitcher Pierce William Johnson, who was born on May 10, 1991, plays Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves. He has played for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as well as the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, and Colorado Rockies in Major League Baseball (MLB). Out of Missouri State University, he was selected by the Cubs in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft.
Johnson played baseball on the varsity squad at Faith Christian Academy in Arvada, Colorado, for three seasons. In the fifteenth round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, he was chosen by the Tampa Bay Rays. He played collegiate baseball for the Missouri State Bears at Missouri State University after choosing not to sign. With a 6–5 win–loss record and a 4.76 earned run average (ERA) in 75+2⁄3 innings pitched, he concluded his freshman year at Missouri State. He was a summer baseball player for the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Harwich Mariners in 2010 and 2011.
In the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, Johnson was chosen by the Chicago Cubs.[3][4] He pitched 118 innings in 2013 and finished 11–6 with a 2.74 ERA with 124 strikeouts.[5] Baseball America listed him as the 87th greatest baseball prospect before the 2014 season.[6] Following the 2015 season, the Cubs added him to their 40-man roster.[7]
Johnson played in 2014 with the Tennessee Smokies and the Kane County Cougars, compiling a 5–5 record with a 2.54 ERA. Throughout the 2015 season, Johnson remained with the Smokies, where he recorded a 6–2 record with a 2.08 ERA and limited hitters to a.223 batting average. Following his triumph in Tennessee, Johnson was called up to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs.
