FPD's Johnson signs big deal with Houston
Photos: Keon Johnson/Facebook
The word wasn’t made official publicly, but Keon Johnson and mom Sheena King Mingo couldn’t keep it to themselves.
Keon Johnson is now a professional baseball player.
Johnson posted pictures Friday evening on Facebook of him signing the papers to join the Houston Astros organization and begin his pro baseball career.
Houston basically left them no choice, with a monster offer.
According to Jim Callis of www.mlb.com, Johnson signed for $2 million. He was picked in the third round, 93rd overall, and the slotted value by MLB for that position is $846,900.
So the Astros really liked the sound and sharp-hitting shortstop, giving him a whopping $1.15 million over that slot.
In the process, Vanderbilt took a hit with the loss of a prized prospect. The Commodores had five players drafted and eight incoming signees, six in the first four rounds, including Johnson.
Johnson helped FPD avenge consecutive state championship losses with two wins in the GIAA Class 4A title series against Stratford in May.
He departed FPD with white-out all over the record books, finishing first in doubles, home runs, hits, single-season hits, career stolen bases and career runs.
Johnson batted .483 with 51 doubles, eight triples, 32 homers, 150 RBI, and 215 runs.
TCGSR draft coverage
⚾ Athletics signs Houston County’s Burress to sweet deal
âš¾ Houston County's Burress, FPD's Johnson get the MLB calls, as expected (video, interviews, more inside)
âš¾ Burress, Johnson, Galason on the radar of the majors on draft day
âš¾ FPD's Keon Johnson has a big future waiting, on an elite college team or in the pros, but the only two words that matter to him: state champs
He joins Houston County’s Drew Burress, the No. 8 pick by the Athletics, having signed their pro contracts. Burress also signed for above the slot of his pick, getting $7.5 million, nearly $520,000 over the slot value.
Up next is where the Astros send Johnson.
Last year, Houston drafted outfielder Ethan Frey, a high schooler from Louisiana, and sent him to Class A Fayetteville of the Carolina League, which has teams in Augusta, Columbia, and Charleston. He played in 26 games, and moved from prospect ball to Asheville of the South Atlantic League, home to teams in Rome, Ga., and Greenville, S.C.
The Athletics’ top pick last year was pitcher Jamie Arnold of Florida State at No. 11. He didn’t pitch anywhere last summer, and opened this season at Class AA Midland of the Texas League.