CBL's Chatham Barnstormers sign Johnston

The Canadian Baseball League’s Chatham Barnstormers have signed slugger Kian Johnston (Fruitvale, B.C.). Photo: Chatham Barnstormers

February 28, 2026

Official Chatham Barnstormers News Release

The Chatham-Kent Barnstormers have signed Kian Johnston.

At 6-foot-5 and weighing 216 pounds from Fruitvale, B.C., Johnston arrives in Chatham-Kent after two dominant seasons in France Division 1 with La Rochelle Boucaniers.

Let's take a look at his impressive stats:

- Nearly 200 PA

- .338 AVG

-.454 OBP

-.925 OPS

-three homeruns

-32 RBIs

In 2024, Kian led France’s top league with a .479 OBP - 21 points higher than the next-best hitter. In 2025, he led his club in every slash line category: AVG, OBP, SLG and OPS.

And before France?

In 2023, Johnston was named Offensive Player of the Year in Sweden’s Elitserien with the Karlskoga Bats after launching nine home runs in just 98 at-bats and posting a .724 SLG.

Kian told the Barnstormers that the CBL is “gaining a lot of momentum which I’m eager to be a part of.” Coming from B.C., he’s also “looking forward to seeing the other side of Canada.”