I dont think i’ve ever heard his name mentioned before lol could someone give me a scouting report on him? Hell, i don’t even know what position he plays.

I dont get it. Yeah, he struck out a lot, but he has incredible power and played on a horrible team for most of the season.

I’d take him easily over Lopez, Valdez, Osuna, Diamond and Delgado. I expected to see him in the 10-15 range.

He didn’t seem impressed with the system and called it overrated. Alot of what would be our upper level talent is playing in the high minors or majors with other clubs. Flowers, Feliz, Morton, Andrus, Jones, Locke, Gorkys. Some have played very well. They aren’t all playing well but their at the very least talented guys looking to rebound. I think he should have been expecting that hole in the upper levels to a degree.

Has no chance in Atlanta unless he dramaticly cuts down his strikeouts .

Baseball Beginnings: The Braves like to get them while they’re young, and you were 17 when you signed. What was it like to begin playing professionally so early?

Johnson: It was a bit of a culture shock when I first signed, just going from high school and the sheltered life, being 17 and out on your own for the first time. You have to be a professional on and off the field, while still being able to enjoy yourself and have fun. You can’t completely consume yourself with baseball because over six or seven months, it will drive you crazy. But you have to learn how to handle yourself on and off the field.

Baseball Beginnings: What about on the field?

Johnson: I feel like I’ve gotten better after each year. Physically I’ve gotten bigger and stronger and it has allowed me to do differing things at the plate. As a hitter, I’ve learned more about how pitchers are going to pitch me and what I have to do to make the adjustments to how they will pitch me.

Baseball Beginnings: What has been the biggest challenge for you as a hitter?

Johnson: I’d say adjusting to the different kinds of pitching. Coming out of high school, you don’t see any situational lefties coming in just to pitch to you. You don’t see fresh arms. You have to learn how they’re going to attack you and how to handle how they attack you. It’s an on-going thing.

Baseball Beginnings: What about defensively?

Johnson: That’s been an adventure. I was an infielder, a first baseman, in high school. The Braves flipped me out to left field. So it’s been about gradually learning the position. I’ve worked a lot with our outfield instructor, Lynn Jones, and he’s helped me come a long way. I feel a lot more comfortable and I give him the credit for making me a better outfielder. I feel a lot better than I used to out there and I think I’m getting better every day

Baseball Beginnings: How do you feel about your strikeout rates? You look like the kind of hitter who will probably always have some strikeouts to go with your game, but do you think that it’s something that can prevent you from becoming an everyday major league player?

Johnson: I’m comfortable with my strikeout rate this season because I feel like I’ve cut it down so much from last year. My goal last year was just to finish under 100 at the All-Star break. I had 98 strikeouts at the break and cut it down at the break to (79). So I feel like I’m learning the Carolina League and learning the pitchers and doing a better job of making contact. I think I’m better off than I was a year ago.

Baseball Beginnings: Do you feel confident enough that your power will play in the big leagues, but that you’ll need to raise the surrounding tools to at least average levels to be able to compete every day?

Johnson: Absolutely. Defense is probably the weakest part of my game, but I still feel like I can hold my own. I feel like I’ll be able to hold my own at the big league level. I think I’ll be able to hit.