Blue Jays prospect who was part of FCL no-hitter has retired

Back in early August, the Toronto Blue Jays’ rookie level minor league affiliate FCL Blue Jays became a part of history as three pitchers combined to pitch a no-hitter in the team’s 3-0 win against the FCL Phillies. However, Jays Journal's Eric Treuden has indicated that one of the pitchers that starred in the game has retired.

Sounds like Cobi Johnson, selected in the 30th round by the Jays out of Florida State University back in the 2018 MLB Draft and is the son of former Jays’ pitcher and bullpen coach Dane Johnson, is hanging up his spikes and calling it a career.

Johnson had an impressive start to his professional baseball career with the Jays’ Low-A affiliate Vancouver Canadians back in 2018 following the draft. He appeared in 20 games, all as a reliever, in which he went 1-0 with 10 saves, along with a stellar 1.73 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, giving up just five earned runs, eight walks and 35 strikeouts in just 26 innings of work.

However, Johnson was never able to reproduce the success he had that season in his subsequent years in the organization. He finishes his career with a 5-11 record, 12 saves, 5.11 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, with 101 walks, 181 strikeouts in 171 innings pitched, all from pitching in the Jays’ minor league system. He was with the FCL Blue Jays as part of his rehab assignment when the no-hitter took place, after missing all of the 2022 season due to a major surgery he had back in 2021. The speculation was that he probably never fully recovered from the surgery, which may have ultimately led to his sudden retirement this past week from the game he loved.

Nevertheless, at least Johnson will always have with him the wonderful memories of being part of one of baseball’s rarest feats as we wish him all the best in whatever he pursues next in his life.