Tri-City Dust Devils starting pitcher Ryan Johnson has been named to the 2025 Northwest League All-Star team, Minor League Baseball announced Wednesday.
Johnson made 12 starts for the Dust Devils after coming to the club May 9, building up to full outings by the end of the month and acclimatizing quickly to the Northwest League. His most impressive outing came July 5 at Avista Stadium, a complete game one-hit shutout of the Spokane Indians in which the right-hander retired the last 25 batters he faced. Johnson struck out 12 in the gem, allowing only one baserunner via a 1st inning single and drawing swings and misses on 24 of his 102 pitches.
The complete game capped a four-start stretch in which Johnson went at least seven innings. Of the four, Johnson pitched scorelessly in three, striking out a combined 27 and receiving the victory in each start. He also received NWL Pitcher of the Week honors for two of the starts, both the complete game and a June 18 outing against Hillsboro (7 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB/HBP, 7 Ks) that aided Tri-City in its first six-game sweep in franchise history.
After getting shut down for six weeks Johnson returned for a couple of appearances as an opener, allowing only one hit in three innings of work. The Dallas Baptist alum got to display his brilliance one more time August 29, again at Avista Stadium, by striking out the side in the 2nd inning and then handing the baton to a fellow Ryan, righty Ryan Costeiu, who completed a second road shutout of the Indians.
Johnson finished the High-A season with a 4-3 record and a 1.88 ERA over 57.1 innings of work, striking out 65 and walking only ten. Northwest League hitters batted just .196 against Johnson, whose 0.89 WHIP (walks + hits per innings pitched) would have been the lowest in all of High-A baseball had he pitched enough innings to qualify. His exploits on the mound also earned Johnson recognition as one of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects, finishing the season ranked #96.
The honor caps a wild first year of professional baseball for the righty from Red Oak, Texas. The year began with Johnson winning a spot in the bullpen of the proud parent club of the Dust Devils, the Los Angeles Angels, out of spring training. He made his pro debut by pitching Opening Day for the Angels against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field and, in so doing, became the 24th player in Major League Baseball history to reach the big leagues without first spending time in the minors. In his time with the big club Johnson joined an elite club by picking up both a win and a save in his first three outings, standing alongside the late Hall of Famer Roy Halladay as one of two to complete the feat.