Padres roster review: Bryce Johnson

Position(s): Outfielder
Bats / Throws: Both / Right
2026 opening day age: 30
Height / Weight: 6-foot / 190 pounds
How acquired: Via trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates in April 2025
Contract status: Will not be arbitration-eligible until 2028; will not reach free agency until 2031
fWAR in 2025: 0.7
Key 2025 stats: .342 AVG, .383 OBP, .434 SLG, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 9 runs, 3 walks, 19 strikeouts, 4 steals (55 games, 84 plate appearances)

.399 — Johnson’s expected slugging percentage in 2025, up from 2024 (.306) and significantly above his career average (.324) as a role player. There is some luck involved in a career-high .446 batting average on balls in play in 2025, especially over such a small sample size (84 plate appearances), but the jump in expected slugging demonstrates that Johnson’s quality of contact improved over his previous stints in the majors.

Up — Johnson originally signed a minor league deal with the Padres before the 2023 season, was added to the 40-man roster, called up that June and was essentially in the majors until he was essentially replaced as a fourth outfielder in September by Brandon Lockridge. Johnson was removed from the 40-man roster after the season and while there was interest in a reunion on another minor league deal, he ultimately signed a minor league deal with the Pirates. But a rash of injuries struck the Padres early and they struck a deal with the Pirates to acquire Johnson for catcher Brett Sullivan to boost the system’s outfield depth (Lockridge was among those who missed time with injury and was ultimately traded to Milwaukee). Johnson hit .303/.407/.458 with three homers in 42 games at Triple-A El Paso, joined the Padres in June and stuck with the team the rest of the year as a versatile fourth outfielder who produced better than he had in any of his previous three years in the majors (see stat to note). The switch-hitter was at his best against righties (.370/.396/.500) but competent against lefties (.300/.364/.333) and hit his only home run as a pinch-hitter (2-for-4, BB). As such, Johnson was a no-brainer addition to the NL Wild Card Series roster, but he went 0-for-2 with a strikeout while appearing in Game 2 and Game 3.

Johnson is out of minor league options, but he likely has a leg up in a battle for a bench job this spring and will look to build off finishing the 2025 season as the team’s fourth outfielder.