Kentucky baseball: Top JUCO outfielder Ryan Johnson commits to Cats

With senior outfielders Zach Reks and Marcus Carson set to graduate after this season, Kentucky’s coaches have set out to find quality outfielders who could potentially play right away next season.

On Wednesday afternoon, Kentucky recruiting coordinator Roland Fanning might've found an impact player right away. Ryan Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound outfielder from San Jacinto College (Texas), committed to the Wildcats.

Through 40 games at San Jacinto, Johnson is batting .311 with six home runs and 27 RBI.

Johnson played on TCU's College World Series team his freshman season before transferring to San Jacinto. At TCU, Johnson played in 21 games with five starts and had six hits in 28 plate appearances.

Perfect Game lists Johnson as the 19th overall prospect in the JUCO ranks. His commitment gives the Wildcats eight players in the junior college top 150.

Johnson was a top 50 high school prospect out of College Station, Texas when he graduated in 2015. He was a two-time Under Armour All-American in high school and was a Perfect Game All-American as a junior.

His scouting report as a high schooler by Perfect Game said this:

“Outstanding athletic build, plus present strength. 6.86 runner, moves well in the outfield with good routes through the ball, right field arm strength with very good carry, long and loose arm action. Left handed hitter, excellent raw bat speed and power at contact, uses his lower half well to drive his swing, quick direct hand path to the ball at times, swing got longer in games at times as well, showed huge power when everything came together.”

Johnson projects as a corner outfielder at Kentucky.