SPOKANE, Wash. – Former Gonzaga player Troy Johnston became the 29th Bulldog to make the major leagues on Tuesday, joining the Miami Marlins.
Johnston was named the Marlins Minor League Player of the Year in 2023, the same year in which he led all of the minor leagues in RBIs with 119. That same season he stole 24 bases and hit 26 home runs, the first Marlins minor league player to do so in 15 years. Johnson has spent the last two years on the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the AAA affiliate of the Marlins.
Troy Johnston has an impressive career batting average of .281 across his time in the Marlins system. A threat in both the batter's box and the basepaths, he has added 395 runs batted in, 81 home runs, and 83 stolen bases across his career. Johnston has already stolen a career high 31 bases in just 84 games in AAA this year.
A native of Puyallup, Washington, Johnston was a key part of the Gonzaga Bulldogs from 2017 through 2019. A part of the 2018 team that won the WCC, Johnston appeared in 109 career games as a zag. He was named to the WCC All-Freshman team in 2017 and was named to First Team All-Conference in 2019. He finished his career in Spokane with a .312 batting average. Johnston is tied for the school record holder in doubles in a single season, with 27 doubles in his 2019 season. He was drafted in the 17th round of the 2019 draft by the Marlins.
Now the fourth active GU alum in the majors, Jacob joins pitchers Casey Legumina (third season, Seattle Mariners), Alek Jacobs (third season, San Diego Padres), and Eli Morgan (fifth season, Chicago Cubs).
After 636 career games in the minor leagues, Johnston will officially make it to the show when the Marlins play in St. Louis tonight.
