Year In Review: Rob Johnson

Rising Apple’s Year in Review series takes a look at catcher Rob Johnson today. Johnson spent more time in 2012 with the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, but he did manage to get into seventeen games with the big league club. Johnson didn’t have a very big impact in 2012, and the highlight of his campaign had to be catching Matt Harvey‘s major league debut.
How he handled the bat
Jul. 26, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Mets catcher Rob Johnson (16) at bat during the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The Mets defeated the Diamondbacks 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE
Rob didn’t make a big splash offensively in 2012. He had 52 at bats with the Mets this past season. He sported a .250 batting average, and only managed two extra base hits. While with Buffalo, he only had a .206 average over 45 games. The Mets catchers will not be remembered for their offensive prowess in 2012, and while he didn’t spend much time with the big league club, Johnson didn’t do anything to change the way fans felt about the Mets catching situation. It seems that all one of the catchers had to do was show a little offense in 2012, and they could have locked the job down. Instead, as we move towards 2013, the job is still up for grabs.
How he handled the glove
Much like Johnson’s offensive output, he didn’t do anything defensively to wow anyone in 2012. He only threw out 10% of base stealers in the games he started for the Mets. On a positive note, he didn’t make any errors while behind the plate for the Mets last season over a span of 135 innings. However, Rob Johnson was probably best known as being Matt Harvey’s mentor while in the Mets organization.
Contract status/Projected role in 2013
Johnson was recently outrighted from the 40 man roster to make room for prospects in light of this year’s rule 5 draft. He opted for free-agency, and will most likely not be back with the team in 2013. Johnson’s future is up in the air, and if he does manage to sign with another team we can expect him to have a similar role as he did with the Mets in 2012 (spend time in the minors and be used primarily in a backup role at the big league level).