Pierce Johnson, native of Arvada, CO, has played his college ball for the Missouri St. Bears, but he will likely soon call the Chicago Cubs organization his home. The Cubs selected Johnson, a right-handed pitcher, with the 43rd overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft as part of the Compensation A round. The Cubs received this pick for losing Aramis Ramirez to the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent during the offseason.
Johnson is 6 feet 3 and 180 pounds with an instinct to strike out batters. He usually sits his fastball in the lower-90s, but he can reach up to 96 mph. His cutter and changeup are improving pitches, but it is health the Cubs will need to be concerned with if he signs with them. He had a forearm strain this season and missed a few starts. He also dislocated a knee last summer.
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