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The Rise to Fame: Carter Johnson

July 13, 2024
Prep Baseball Alabama Staff

Tracking the progression of prospects over the course of their high school careers has become something our staff at Prep Baseball Alabama has enjoyed to follow. Yes, it's easy to be enamored with those elite-level prospects who stand out and jump off the page as potential Division 1 recruits as freshmen and sophomores, but there's something left to be said for the prospect who continues to keep their head down and put in the work to make something of themselves. SS Carter Johnson, an Oxford, AL native who has signed with the University of Alabama, is currently our top-ranked senior prospect in the state of Alabama and ranked No. 5 nationally in the class, but it really wasn't until his summer going into his junior season where he reached the elite star status that he currently holds heading into the upcoming MLB Draft this weekend. Currently mocked just outside the 1st round in Prep Baseball's most-recent MLB Mock Draft, it's clear to see that whether Johnson ends up signing to a professional organization or opting to go to school at the University of Alabama, the left-handed hitting shortstop's best days are easily ahead of him. 

Today, we felt it appropriate to peel back the curtain and dive deeper into Johnson's journey and astronomical rise throughout the amateur baseball ranks over the past few years. The top-ranked prospect in the senior class in Alabama has been in attendance at two of the most prestigious events on the summer circuit over the past two seasons, the Prep Baseball Future Games in 2022 and the Prep Baseball All-American Game in 2023. Both of which he starred at and really cemented himself as truly one of the top shortstops in the country. More on that later, but our first glimpse of Johnson came way before that at a scout day in November of 2020. Ever since that first event, he's continued to put the work in and transform himself into an elite prospect. Taking it step-by-step, let's take a look back at the rise to frame for the Carter Johnson.

FIRST LOOK AT AN EXCEL BASEBALL SCOUT DAY

On November 4th, 2020, Prep Baseball partnered with Excel Baseball to run their annual scout day for all prospects within their organization, with Carter Johnson being one of them. With over 50 quality prospects in attendance at the event, Johnson, who was just in his first semester of his freshman year, was one of the youngest ones there and performed well in comparison to others in his graduating class. During the workout, he ran a 7.57 60-yard dash, was up to 78 mph across the INF, and recorded an 83 mph exit velocity, all being above-average metrics at the time for a freshman. Something else he did show, and is one thing we'll dive deeper into in a bit, is the two-way ability he showed early on in his high school career. At this particular event, he touched 80 mph and showcased a fluid, athletic delivery.

BEGINNING TO MAKE A NAME FOR HIMSELF

Oxford High School has consistently been known as one of the top programs in Alabama year-after-year while churning out next-level prospects who sign to Division 1 schools at a high rate every year. It's pretty rare for an underclassmen, let alone a freshman, to play such a vital role for the Yellow Jackets, as they always seem to have tons of talented upperclassmen on their roster. Johnson started making his impact on the varsity level as young, skinny freshman in the spring of 2021 both at the plate and on the mound. Hitting in the middle of the order for most of the season surrounded by names like Trey Higgins, Sam Robertson, Peyton Watts and others who went on to sign to the next level, the freshman showed he more than belonged. While still being years away from his prime, the infielder showed some elite skills and actions, including that smooth left-handed swing that he's patented up to this point. It was easy to see that once he added strength to his frame, it would all begin to click. Mentioned previously, Carter also doubled as an intriguing right-hander on the mound who pitched some important innings in their rotation during that season. Sitting in the low-80s, he exuded confidence on the mound and wasn't scared of the big moment, something that would later come back to help him. Standing out on both sides of the ball, our staff was torn on wondering whether he would be just as good of a pitcher as he was a positional player. That question was later answered.

Throughout the summer and into the fall of 2021, Johnson continued to improve and develop into his frame, and really started to show strides of becoming a big-time prospect. He starred at numerous Prep Baseball tournaments playing with Excel Baseball and started to develop into one of the better players on his team. That clean left-handed swing flashed an impressive hit tool with an advanced approach to use all fields. The power was still to come, but with such smooth, athletic actions, Johnson was beginning to make a real name for himself.

CARRYING IT OVER INTO THE SPRING

Going into the spring of 2022, Johnson had made a huge splash in the updated Class of 2024 rankings and looked poised for a breakout year, both in the spring and summer. Now ranked at No. 11 in the state, the shortstop looked like an easy pick to represent Team Alabama at the prestigious Prep Baseball Future Games in the summer if he continued to show the same strides of development. He would go on to do just that, leading the Yellow Jackets to a successful spring in Class 6A while showing a polished hit tool and a fastball that now would creep into the upper-80s. The book was still somewhat out, at least from our viewpoint, to whether he would go on to pick one side of the ball, or if he would continue to do both. There was plenty of intriguing traits and the upside to like on both sides, but the summer that was to follow would make things more clear.

THE 2022 PREP BASEBALL FUTURE GAMES

The summer going into his junior season was really when things started to pick up for Johnson. Starting off the summer with what was a glimpse to come at the Excel Baseball Scout Day, it felt like every weekend at LakePoint Sports in Emerson, GA was the Carter Johnson Show. Our phones were blowing up throughout the summer from the Prep Baseball Georgia staff telling us Johnson did this, Johnson did that, etc. The outputs were loud with consistency, and the power was starting to come for the left-handed bat. He had put on good weight and looked like an elite prospect with still plenty of projection left. It was easy to see the left-handed bat had taken the next step, and college recruiters were beginning to notice.

The Prep Baseball Future Games is widely-known as the top event of the summer, hosting the best uncommitted talent in the rising junior class from each state. This event is held at LakePoint Sports in Emerson, GA, and is a hot-bed for college recruiters to see the top available talent at one centralized location from every state. Johnson, who was one of the first invites we issued from that summer, look primed to make noise for Team Alabama and he did just that. He was tabbed the "biggest winner" from the event by Shooter Hunt, Vice President, Scouting of Prep Baseball, who would go on to say:

"Johnson was the biggest winner at the Future Games, and had the nation’s premier recruiting coordinators buzzing from coast-to-coast. High-waisted with an athletic, 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame, he first opened eyes with a stellar batting practice session. A left-handed hitter, Johnson turned the barrel with aggressive intent while still maintaining balance in the lower-half. The rotational acceleration stood out along with the fluid load of the hands as they quickly drove the barrel through the zone with some sneaky power to the pull side that should quickly evolve into more. The barrel accuracy showed up in game as the talented shortstop notched a pair of hits on the first day, and while he might have a chance at developing into a middle-of-the-order bat in the future, the floor is likely set in the top of an order. Raising his stock, the ball found the right part in the mitt with each ground ball, and a quick release provided accurate throws across the diamond from all angles. That arm strength should continue to grow, and it carried over to the mound where he was up over 88 mph with athletic movement patterns down the mound. There is an ease to the way that Johnson goes about his business, and it appears innate for him to play fast without being sped up. Overall, few players at the event created quite as much buzz as the young shortstop did, and it is likely that he will have his fair share of programs hoping for his commitment in the near future."

Johnson had arrived on the national scene and the buzz was real. After the event, he was in constant contact with the top programs across the country who were all hoping to land him in their recruiting class. Carter wouldn't go on to waste much time after the event, as he quickly committed to the University of Alabama on August 5th, just a week after the conclusion of the Future Games.

After all of this, it would have been easy for him to sit back and be content with what he had already accomplished. But with the type of makeup and person he is, Johnson continued to stay at it and continued to work. The ceiling was extremely high, but how much was attainable?

CONTINUED PROGRESSION IN 2023

The spring that followed continued to be more of the same for the recent Alabama verbal commitment, which was a testament to his work ethic and how much time he dedicated in the off-season in hopes to take the next step. Johnson would go on to produce at a very high level for the Yellow Jackets during the spring, while still showing off the same ability to hit, but with more power and added size/strength to his left-handed operation as evidenced in the video below. He was in instrumental part in leading Oxford High School to a Class 6A State Championship that same spring.

Heading into the summer of 2023 now ranked No. 3 in the 2024 class in Alabama, the shortstop was beginning to catch the attention of professional scouts. Continuing to just square up everything thrown his way at LakePoint Sports playing with Excel Baseball, the consistent production was hard to ignore, especially with a loud showing at the National Program Invitational (NPI), one of the biggest tournaments of the summer.

Now fully showing the ability to produce against some of the highest competition the country has to offer, Johnson was invited to a plethora of events, including the East Coast Pro, USA Baseball PDP, and others. Facing some of the top pitchers in his graduating class, Carter showed he more than belonged. He was a consistent standout at multiple events, and continued to catch the attention of Shooter Hunt and David Seifert. 

"The opportunity to make a big splash was present for Johnson, and the sweet-swinging Alabama native was more than prepared. Belting a home run early on in the event, the high-waisted, 6-foot-2, 180-pound infielder opened eyes with each and every plate appearance as his smooth stroke and innate ability to turn the barrel played throughout en route to going 5-for-16 with two home runs and two walks. Loose-wristed with quick hands, the left-handed hitter got on plane early, and seemed to discredit any thought that his bat lacked impact upside. Spraying line drives early on his batting practice rounds, he calmly sent a multitude of balls over the wall to the pull side including several deep to right center field in providing ample evidence as to what might ultimately blossom. That power potential clearly carried over with the early home run in-game, and he continued to take great at-bats throughout in presenting one of the higher chances to hit in the class. Likely a more versatile infielder with the chance to play any spot on the dirt, Johnson is not a burner down the line or on the basepaths, but his athleticism and confident hands (along with a plus-arm) should allow him to at least start off at shortstop in the professional ranks. Regardless, the bat is the carrying tool, and if looking for recent MLB Draft helium follows, Johnson holds a similar profile to Colt Emerson."

After his performance on the summer circuit for a second-consecutive year, Johnson had the opportunity that few athletes have the chance to do, and that's represent his country after being named to the USA Baseball 18U National Team.

THE 2023 PREP BASEBALL ALL-AMERICAN GAME

On February 3rd, 2023, Prep Baseball announced the inaugural All-American Game, which was going to be held at American Family Field, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers. A more of a unique format, the Prep Baseball All-American Game would feature a team of the top seniors in the country facing off against the top juniors in the country. While this made spots for each team extremely limited, Johnson was selected to represent the 2024 squad in the first edition of the premier event. To be expected, Johnson represented the state of Alabama with flying colors as the only prospect in attendance from the Yellowhammer State, and continued to prove himself as one of the top overall prospects in the 2024 class in front of tons of professional scouts. See his report below:

"Smooth in every facet of the game, Carter Johnson continues to excel at every stop. Left-handed hitter who starts with a high handset pre-load into a low hanging leg trigger. Keeps his back hip coiled extremely well with excellent barrel control through the zone. Stays well-balanced throughout with natural loft on impact and above-average pull-side power without selling out. Strong pitch recognition and bat speed only strengthen the hit tool profile, and can trend towards the top of the class. Never out of control defensively with flexibility and confident footwork, Johnson shows impressive range in all directions as well. Arm plays up with consistent carry and accuracy. Fluid hands and lightning-quick transfers may be the most impressive aspect of the Alabama commit’s defensive profile, and all in all looks to be plus glove on the left side of the infield."

SETTING THE STAGE

Heading into his final season of high school baseball, Johnson had ascended to the No. 1 spot in the 2024 class in Alabama and top-10 nationally. The University of Alabama signee was now a household name not just across the state of Alabama, but across the country. As an opposing coach, he was the name on the lineup you would circle and say "do not let him beat us". With that, Carter was pitched to very carefully and saw his fair share of walks during his senior campaign while still finding the ability to help his team in a variety of different ways. He also had a strong contingent of professional area scouts in attendance at every game watching every at-bat of his season, something that the average high school player would let affect him, but Carter didn't. He would go on to help lead Oxford HS to another quarterfinal appearance in Class 6A to close out his decorated high school career.

The progression and evolution of Carter Johnson into one of the top overall prospects in the country has been one of our favorite things we've been able to witness at Prep Baseball Alabama. From coming to his first Prep Baseball event as a skinny left-handed hitter as a freshman at the Excel Baseball Scout Day in 2020 to developing into a premier prospect and attending two of the biggest events of the summer in the Prep Baseball Future Games and the Prep Baseball All-American Game, the sky is the limit for Johnson. Whether his name gets called in the 1st round of this weekend's MLB Draft or he opts to head to the University of Alabama for the next few years, Carter Johnson will be successful at whatever he does in whatever level of baseball he lands at.

 

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