San Francisco Giants: Outfielder Bryce Johnson earns promotion to Double-A

San Francisco Giants prospect Bryce Johnson recently earned a promotion to the organization’s Double-A affiliate in Richmond.

The San Francisco Giants selected outfielder Bryce Johnson out of Sam Houston State University in the sixth round of the 2017 MLB draft. In three college seasons, he posted a .338/.418/.409 with 69 steals in 88 attempts.

The 23-year-old spent the entire 2018 season with High-A San Jose, hitting .249/.339/.324 with 25 extra-base hits and 31 steals in 511 plate appearances.

He returned to that level to begin the 2019 campaign, and he made some nice strides as a hitter. His strengths include speed, defense, and he has a knack for getting on-base while hitting from both side of the plate.

Interestingly, Johnson recently became a switch hitter. He is naturally a right-handed hitter and only began hitting from the left side in college.

This season with San Jose, Johnson was among the leaders in a number of categories in the California League:

As a  minor league Gold Glove recipient, defense could be Johnson’s ticket to providing value to a major league roster. He has the tools and pedigree to be a fourth outfielder.

While he does not offer much power, he has good plate disciple and zone awareness, making him a tough out. With San Jose this year, Johnson posted a 12.8 percent walk rate against a 23.4 percent strikeout rate.

As he accumulates more playing time with the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels, it will be important for those peripherals to remain constant.

With that being said, the switch-hitting prospect has gotten off to a nice start following his promotion. In only 17 plate appearances, Johnson is batting .438 with a double, a triple, and a home run. He is essentially the Alex Dickerson of the San Francisco Giants Double-A affiliate.

Interestingly, the Eastern League is a tough hitter’s environment, and Johnson has flashed some power in the early going. That is not likely to continue, but it is still a good sign.

https://twitter.com/GoSquirrels/status/1144379506855206912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Following his recent promotion, outfielder Bryce Johnson is a prospect to monitor as he continues to work his way up the San Francisco Giants farm system.

He has the tools to become a major league player, and the Eastern League presents a good challenge to see how his tools will play against tougher competition.