Former Iowa High School Baseball Standout Lands Job With St. Louis Cardinals

Evan Johnson will serve as a pitching coach in the minor league system of the Cardinals

Evan Johnson has been hired with Palm Beach, a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. / Cardinals Player Development/X

A former Iowa high school baseball standout has been named the new pitching coach for a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Evan Johnson, who played at Gilbert High School and Iowa Central Community College, was hired by the Cardinals to work with Palm Beach, a Class A level team in the minor leagues for the Cardinals.

“Childhood dream come true,” Johnson posted on social media. “Excited to join the St. Louis Cardinals organization as a pitching coach.”

Rich Benjamin will take over as the new Manager for Palm Beach after serving as the FCL Cardinals Bench Coach last season.

He is joined by Yucary De La Cruz and newcomers Evan Johnson, Ben Brooks & Rodrigo Vigil. pic.twitter.com/5AqugFliCs

— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) December 18, 2025

Former Iowa High School Standout Pitched Several Seasons In Minor Leagues

Johnson, who also pitched for Creighton, spent four years playing professional baseball, including three in the minor leagues with the Seattle Mariners. He pitched for the Tacoma Rainiers, the AAA team, in 2021.

During his pro career, Johnson went 7-5 with four saves and 150 strikeouts in 122 innings pitched, making 61 appearances. He was an all-Big East Conference second team selection with the Bluejays, helping them to regular season and tournament titles.

As a senior in 2019, Johnson went 8-2, making 14 starts and 30 appearances overall while holding a record of 10-3. He was 7-4 with 61 strikeouts in two seasons at Iowa Central.

Evan Johnson Earned All-State Honors At Gilbert

Johnson was an all-stater at Gilbert, earning four letters in baseball with the Tigers from 2012-15. During his senior season, Johnson was 9-0 on the mound with three saves, recording 103 strikeouts in just under 64 innings while putting together a 1.32 earned run average.

He also hit .314 with four home runs, eight doubles, 25 RBI and 24 runs scored at the plate, as Gilbert won 30 games. Johnson was 6-2 with three saves and 80 strikeouts as a junior.

Johnson previously served as the pitching coach for the St. Cloud Rox of the Northwoods League and as the head of player development at Youngstown State University.

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