Lebarron Johnson Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Lebarron Xavier Johnson Jr.
Born 06/19/2002 in Jacksonville, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 207 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Texas
Drafted in the 5th round (139th overall) by the Colorado Rockies in 2024 (signed for $500,000).

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School: Texas
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 22.1
BA Grade: 40/High
Tools: Fastball: 55. Slider: 55. Changeup: 40. Control: 40.

Johnson Jr. ranked as the No. 199 prospect in the 2023 class as a redshirt sophomore, but didn’t get selected and returned to Texas for his third season in 2024. As a redshirt junior he posted a 5.60 ERA over 72.1 innings and 15 starts with a 25.1% strikeout rate and 13.2% walk rate. He looks the part of a professional starter with a high-waisted and physical 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame and big stuff to match, but his below-average control is a question mark. Johnson pitches off a fastball that averages 94 mph and touches 98. He gets solid carry on the pitch, though his higher slot and tall release height makes the pitch play better when he spots it at the bottom of the zone than the top. His mid-80s slider has sharp enough bite to become an above-average pitch, but like his fastball Johnson will need to refine his command of the offering. He’s used an upper-80s changeup as a third offering that is primarily reserved for lefthanded hitters but it’s further behind his fastball and slider. Johnson will now be 22 on draft day though his stuff and overall profile remain similar to the prospect he was in 2023. He profiles best as a reliever in pro ball.

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Draft Prospects

School: Texas Committed: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 22.1
Johnson Jr. ranked as the No. 199 prospect in the 2023 class as a redshirt sophomore, but didn’t get selected and returned to Texas for his third season in 2024. He looks the part of a professional starter, with a high-waisted and physical 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame and power stuff to match. He transitioned from a bullpen role to a starting job in 2023, when his 4.10 FIP was good for second-best in the Big 12. Johnson mostly pitches off a 94-mph fastball that has been up to 98 and an upper-80s slider that has plus potential, and he used an upper-80s changeup only about 4% of the time in 2023.
School: Texas Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.1
Johnson Jr. has a high-waisted and projectable 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame and attacks from a high, three-quarter slot on the mound. After pitching exclusively out of the bullpen in 2022, Johnson Jr. worked as a starter in 2023 and he dazzled down the stretch to shoot up draft boards, including a complete game, eight-strikeout effort against Miami during regionals. Overall, he posted a 2.91 ERA in 86.2 innings, with a 26.9% strikeout rate and 10.4% walk rate. Johnson has a low-effort delivery and leans heavily on his fastball that averaged 94 mph and has been up to 98. The pitch plays down from its velocity thanks to a high release point and just average life, but he does have a potential plus slider in the upper 80s that has hard and late bite and completely falls out of the bottom of the zone to induce bad chases. While he’s mostly pitched off the fastball/slider combination, Johnson Jr. has mixed in an upper-80s changeup as well. He needs to improve his fastball command and refine his overall control to profile safely as a starter, but he has a starter’s look and potentially impact secondary stuff.
An ultra-athletic and projectable 6-foot-4, 200-pound righthander, Johnson had a chance to be something of a pop-up player this spring, but the 2020 season ended too abruptly for scouts to get repeated looks. After pitching in the upper 80s last summer, Johnson showed a jump in velocity this spring, getting his fastball into the 93-94 mph range at the beginning of his outings. He pairs that fastball with a top-to-bottom curveball that has a chance to be an above-average pitch as well. With good arm speed, developing velocity, feel to spin and a body that teams can project on, Johnson has a lot of traits that teams would typically love to take a shot on. But as a Florida commit in a five-round draft, it might be difficult for clubs to spend the money it might take to sign him, given the lack of spring looks. Johnson is certainly a name to watch out for in the 2023 draft, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make a big jump in Gainesville.