Pierce William Johnson was born on May 10, 1991, in San Diego, California. He is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball.
He has played for the Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, as well as the Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hanshin Tigers (NPB). The Cubs selected him in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft out of Missouri State University.
Johnson was drafted in the 15th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays after three seasons of varsity baseball at Faith Christian Academy in Arvada, Colorado.
He did not sign and attended Missouri State University. He finished his first year at Missouri State with a 6–5 record to go along with a 4.76 ERA in 75.2 IP. In 2010 and 2011, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
On September 20, 2017, Johnson was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants. He elected free agency on November 3, 2018. On December 8, 2018, Johnson signed with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). On December 2, 2019, he become a free agent.
On December 23, 2019, Johnson signed a two-year contract that includes a third-year club option with the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). In his first season with San Diego, Johnson recorded 27 strikeouts in 20 innings.
Pierce Johnson signed a 2-year / $5,000,000 contract with the San Diego Padres, including $5,000,000 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $2,500,000. In 2022, Johnson will earn a base salary of $3,000,000, while carrying a total salary of $3,000,000.