Feb. 26--Erik Johnson may be on the bubble of the White Sox rotation this spring, but he spoke with confidence Friday about where he's at after a 2015 comeback season.
"That's who I am," Johnson said. "That's my character. I don't think I shy away from anything. Aggressiveness, that's what I preach. I'm going after whatever goals I have set. I write them down. I look at them. I see them in my mind."
The 26-year-old right-hander has good reason for his self-assured mindset.
After a dismal 2014 season when he lost a spot in the Sox rotation by May, he bounced back to become the International League Most Valuable Pitcher while at Triple-A Charlotte in 2015. He was 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA and 136 strikeouts over 132 2/3 innings pitched in Charlotte and won three games with the Sox in September, posting a 3.34 ERA over 35 innings.
The Sox brought in right-hander Mat Latos on a $3 million deal earlier this month, seemingly pushing Johnson from another major-league shot because the rotation already includes Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon and John Danks.
But the Sox have said the depth is necessary in case of injury and that they can see Johnson contributing to the team this season. Johnson said he wants "to be that guy" the Sox can rely on this season, but he avoids contemplating the competition.
"It's really noise to me," he said. "You go through your routine, you do what you've got to do, and you control what you can control."
For Johnson, taking control of his work and routine have been key.
That has included going to an outside pitching coach to help him get back on track, something with which Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said this offseason he didn't have a problem.
Johnson said he is just trying to glean information from anywhere he can.
"I'm a student of the game," Johnson said. "That's what I do, no matter where the information is coming from. The White Sox are a huge part of that, working with Coop each day, and getting the information he has. He's another set of eyes, and he's always there when you go into battle. ... I'm trying to be the best Erik Johnson I can be for this organization."
