Troy Johnston interview: Fatherhood, 'life-changing' winter ball experience and 2025 season

Swimming Upstream returns with our longest player interview to date, catching up with Miami Marlins first baseman/outfielder Troy Johnston. Johnston chatted with Alex Carver and Kevin Barral about becoming a father for the first time, his experience playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, changes he's made during the 2025 season, continuing to wait for a long-overdue call-up and much more.

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Drafted by the Marlins way back in 2019, Johnston was honored as the organization's Minor League Player of the Year in 2023. He has a career .284/.369/.458 slash line in the minors. Originally listed as an outfielder, he's been primarily deployed at first base since entering the pros.

Despite 261 games of strong Triple-A production, Johnston has yet to be called up by the Marlins. Worth noting, the club has received -1.3 fWAR from its first basemen so far this season, which ranks 29th out of 30 MLB teams.

Johnston turns 28 years old on Sunday. Following the 2025 season, he's eligible to become a minor league free agent if not selected to the Marlins 40-man roster.

Follow Troy (@2297Troy), Alex (@marlinsminors), Kevin (@kevin_barral) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com.