Marlins prospect Troy Johnston is ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes his way, " I Just want to help the team win"

Over the last few years, Troy Johnston has become a name with which Marlins fans have become familiar. Since Miami selected him in the 17th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, he has been a solid bat as he moved through the system. With the 2025 campaign less than two weeks old, the Tacoma native is one call from the majors.

As Johnston looks to reach a major milestone, he is coming off a very productive 2024 campaign. In 125 games for the Jumbo Shrimp last year, Johnston posted a .276 batting average while driving in 63 runs. While those are solid numbers, the talented 27-year-old is not taking anything for granted and being precise on how he puts himself in a position to be successful.

“I’ve gotten smarter in how I train,” Johnston said. “ I’ve gotten smarter about how I recover. I’ve gotten smarter on how I approach every day, every at-bat. I’m not a 21-year-old prospect anymore, so I have to be more precise in what I do.”

In his career, Johnson has appeared in 558 games and driven 359 runs. He has also stolen 52 bases in that span and has a .284 batting average. At each level, he has had to make adjustments and has tried to embrace every lesson along the way, especially in the higher levels.

“ When you get to the higher levels, it becomes a little bit different,” said Johnston. “ Pensacola is a very fun area, and it’s one of my favorite places on earth, but you’re kind of always looking over your shoulder and over your head. Because you’re always trying to get to that next step. It’s no longer just baseball; you are at the higher levels and trying to make a job. The upper levels become more cutthroat and more serious, and every pitch and at-bat matters. It’s about whether you can help the big league team now.”

As Johnston looks to reach the next level, he is surrounded by talent. The Jumbo Shrimp roster includes some of the Marlins top prospects, such as Agustin Ramirez. That has only pushed the Gonzaga product to focus more on his game.

"The talent level is there," Johnston said. "For me, I just have to be smarter. I have to outsmart them and play better baseball because, realistically, they're going to have more opportunities than me."

While Johnston is off to a slow start, he has hit every year he has been in Triple-A. He showed some positive signs on Tuesday with an opposite-field two-run homer against Worcester. His main focus is just trying to help the Jumbo Shrimp win games.

"I'm just trying to hit for more power, drive in runs, and help the team win. That's about it," said Johnston. This year, I'm not really sure what is in store for me, so I'm going to take advantage of every opportunity and try to get better."

Written for Beyond The Monster: https://beyondthemonster.substack.com/p/troy-johnston-ready-to-take-advantage