Daniel Johnson OF – Nationals #8 Prospect
With the Washington Nationals stacked at outfield, they could very well deal Daniel Johnson. And he has plenty of appeal for any team that he may depart for.
First off, he had a breakout 2017, in which he won the Nationals’ Minor League Player of the Year. He hit 22 home runs and stole 22 bases while hitting .298 and slugging .505 last season.
That kind of power-speed combo will make front office executives drool. If he can get back to anything close to that in the upper levels of the minor leagues, he’ll easily be a major league regular.
The question is whether the power was just a fluke, or whether it’s legit. Well, in 2016 and so far in 2018, Johnson has just one long ball in each year. And in his first year at New Mexico State, he only hit two homers.
But in his final year in college, he did hit 12 bombs, so it’s possible we don’t know about the power just yet. However, between college and pro ball, the lowest average he’s had over a full season is .298, so there’s always that nice floor.
The stolen bases are there again in 2018 too, with 16 to his name so far. So perhaps he profiles as a Brian Goodwin type player with a bit of everything, but not exceptional at one thing.
Plenty of teams will covet that, and be prepared to make him a centerpiece in a deal. He may not be enough for a top-end guy, but perhaps someone like the Kansas City Royals could deal Danny Duffy with a package headlined by Daniel Johnson.