Troy Johnston, claimed by the Colorado Rockies off waivers from the Miami Marlins on November 5, 2025, is making a significant impact on the team. His performance has turned initial skepticism into recognition of his value.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: Troy Johnston #20 of the Colorado Rockies looks on during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on April 09, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Back on November 5, 2025, when the Colorado Rockies claimed INF/OF Troy Johnston off waivers, the move seemed fairly insignificant.
X post announcing that the Rockies claimed Troy Johnston off waivers from the Miami Marlins. (11/5/25)
At the time, the Rockies rebuild was in its early stages with key front office positions remaining unfilled, so their thinking on claiming Johnston was unclear.
In spring training, however, Johnston’s potential became clear:
It’s too early to have much meaningful data on the 2026 season, but Johnston’s initial numbers are promising. In 50 plate appearances, he’s slashed .283/.327/.478 with a 114 wRC+. His time between first and the outfield has been roughly equal.
And he’s shown himself ready to make a big play.
For Johnston, it’s all in a day’s work. In a recent interview, he discussed joining the Rockies and adjusting to elevation, playing multiple positions, and that walk-up song everyone’s talking about.
A native of Washington State, Johnston knows his way around the West Coast, but it’s been a minute given that the Marlins drafted him in 2019. Still, Johnston is finding his way around the Mountain West.
“Getting used to the weather, getting used to the travel, getting used to playing teams that I’ve never played before is all very new to me,” Johnston said.
But he’s not worried.
“It’s still baseball. You’ve still got to hit the ball, still got to have a good approach, still got to be athletic, still got to scout and do all this kind of stuff,” he said. “Every day is not the same. You have to prepare differently. You have to train differently for whatever you’re trying to accomplish that day. But I’m trying to adjust and have fun and be the best teammate that I can.”
Wherever he’s playing, Johnston has learned to relax.
“I’ve been playing baseball professionally a long time. I know it hasn’t been in the big leagues, but when you try to put the ball in play, and you just try to make things happen and don’t press too much, sometimes good things happen.”
Then there’s the matter of elevation, which Johnston said he first noticed in his sleep habits.
“I feel like I have not been sleeping very well,” he said, “because I’ve been up in Washington [where] I’m at sea level. I’m up in Seattle and over in Florida, you’re at sea level. I’ve got the humidity, all that kind of stuff. Here, the air is very thin, and it’s very cold, and so that’s very different than what I’m used to. So I’ve been trying to find different techniques, different things that can kind of cope with that.”
Then again, there may be more than elevation at work.
“But I also do have an 11-month-old who’s teething,” Johnston added with a smile. “So as much as I am trying to do my best, she’s also keeping me awake a bit. But we love her, and we’ll keep her around.”
He’s aware, too, of the on-field effects of playing at 5280, something he first noticed at the end of last season when the Marlins visited Coors Field. Although Johnston noted the change in pitch movement, he was especially struck by how the ball flew, setting up a situation that requires vigilance on the part of defenders.
“I do understand in the outfield, the ball will travel and it’ll kind of carry on you. As long as you’re thinking about that while you’re tracking the baseball, things happen a little bit better,” he said. “But if you’re not prepared for it, that’s where it’ll sneak up on you.”
Johnston added, “I feel like the pop-ups in the infield are fairly normal, but I think those, those deep, mid-level drives out to the outfield in the gaps down the lines, those are where you see the big difference.”
The Rockies’ new front office has emphasized the need for versatility. It’s another part of Johnston’s game that requires his attention, most notably in terms of preparation.
“A lot of it is just mental preparedness and making sure I get my reps, preparing for what I need to do that day, whether it’s playing in the infield, playing in the outfield,” Johnston said. “I feel like I’m comfortable at any position.”
He recognizes, though, that versatility is a key part of his game.
“That was the big thing of why the Rockies claimed me off waivers from Miami was that I can play multiple positions.”
Since he was drafted as an outfielder, first base has been a position added to his toolkit, but he doesn’t have a positional preference.
“There’s no actual theory behind this,” he said, “but for me, being an outfielder is just a glorified DH. That’s all it is. You’re just out there. You’re hanging out, kicking grass, doing whatever.”
But that changes in an instant.
“When the ball does come to you in the outfield, there’s a really, really high pressure. You need to catch the ball. You need to get it into the right guy,” Johnston said, adding, “When we’re in the infield, you’re locked in pretty much all nine innings. Maybe in the outfield, you can get away with taking one pitch off.”
He’s just ready to do what’s asked of him.
“I’ve told [manager Warren Schaeffer] this a lot. I will do anything he needs me to do. If he asked me to play shortstop in the ninth, if he asked me to play third base and bat first, it does not matter. I will do anything, whatever they need.”
Among all the Rockies 2026 walk-up songs, Johnston’s decision to go with Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5” tends to get fans’ attention.
Who made this decision? His wife, Haleigh.
“She picked it,” Johnston explained, “and she thought it was so funny.”
Here’s how it happened.
“We were going up in January,” he said, ‘and I was like, ‘You know, I need a walk up song. Spring training is coming around. I need something. What do you think?’ And she goes, ‘“Mambo No. 5.’ And I go, ‘That’s the worst walk-up song I’ve ever heard my entire life.’ And she goes, ‘I promise you: It’ll bring its good vibes. The fans will like it. They’ll get interactive.’ And she did this whole little dance routine with it. And I thought it was so funny. I didn’t really have a lot of other options in my mind. So I was like, ‘You know, I’ll try it, and see what works.’
As it turns out, it did.
“But it was funny,” he said, smiling. “There was somebody that tweeted something out and said, ‘Troy Johnston’s walk up song is just so fitting for him,’ and I hated it so much, because, of course, my wife is usually right.”
Johnston also draws contrasts between his current situation and where he was in Miami.
“A lot of people are talking about the Rockies and how things have been in the past, but this is a new team,” Johnston said.
“We’re hungry. We want to win. It’s kind of our motto.”
Plus, there’s a Rockies fandom eager for winning.
“Coming from the Miami Marlins, when I walked around Miami, I never saw a Miami Marlins jersey. I never saw a Marlins hat. I saw nothing,” Johnston said.
“When I’m walking around downtown Denver, they’re really excited about the Rockies. They want the Rockies to be good. This is a sports town. We are trying to put a good product on the field. Paul [DePodesta] has done a great job of that. I’ve never seen so many supporters of one team that I’ve actually been a part of and that I’ve been on. So this city and this team wants to win, we’re going to try to put the best product every night and do our best to win.”
ICYMI:
Continuing our look at Troy Johnston on is Tuesday is Eli Whitney over at Blake Street Banter. Here he provides another perspective on the utility player.
Rockies’ new direction, energy has DePodesta excited | MLB.com
Thomas Harding spoke with Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta during the team’s series with the Padres.
2026 MLB Mock Draft 2.0: Updated First-Round Picks For Every Team | Baseball America ($)
Carlos Collazo has the Rockies selecting AJ Gracia, an outfielder from the University of Virginia. As Collazo writes, “How the Rockies and their new front office draft this year will be one of the most interesting storylines to watch. It sounds like they’ve spent a lot of time on college players this spring and, at least for some teams, Gracia is closer to Strosnider in the college outfield pecking order than the others. He has a patient and selective approach that leads to lots of walks. His career walk rate is right around 18-19%, and he has the bat-to-ball skills that limit his strikeouts.”
Sign up for a user account and get:
Please keep in mind ourPurple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!
Troy Johnston played for the Miami Marlins before being claimed by the Colorado Rockies.
The Colorado Rockies claimed Troy Johnston off waivers on November 5, 2025.
Troy Johnston has made a significant impact on the team, changing initial perceptions of his value.
Troy Johnston plays as an infielder and outfielder for the Colorado Rockies.
LIV Golf's future appears uncertain as reports suggest Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund may withdraw funding after investing $5 billion. Despite assurances for the 2026 season, the tour faces challenges from low ratings and strong competition from the PGA Tour.
Mike Trout's 446-foot HR joins him with Aaron Judge in Yankee Stadium lore.
Detroit Tigers projected to take a risk on a 6'3" prep bat in the MLB draft.
Arshdeep Singh makes history as the first PBKS bowler to reach 100 IPL wickets!
California's top high school football prospects are on the move this weekend.
Viktor Hovland shines with a 64 at RBC Heritage, Gotterup scores 70.
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.