Pirates Top 30 Prospects No. 3: Can Termarr Johnson Put it All Together?

This is one in a series of stories breaking down PBN’s Top 30 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects.

When Termarr Johnson was drafted fourth overall by the Pirates in 2022, he was compared to a pair of Hall of Famers in Wade Boggs and Vladimir Guerrero.

Johnson was considered one of the top pure prep hitters available in decades. Scouts raved about his bat-to-ball skills as well as his power potential despite a compact 5-foot-7 frame.

While Johnson has shown flashes and has done some really good things in the Pirates’ organization, those lofty expectations haven’t quite been met just yet.

So far, Johnson’s best attribute is his ability to get on base. For his minor-league career, Johnson carries an exceptional .390 on-base percentage and an equally impressive 18.6% walk rate.

But the power and contact skills have lagged behind. Through 252 games in his career, Johnson has hit .239 with a somewhat alarming but also manageable 23.6% strikeout rate. Even in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League, Johnson’s .239 average mirrored that of his career.

His power has been evident but he has yet to show it consistently. When his smooth left-handed swing connects on a pitch, the ball travels a long way. Johnson is no stranger to making loud contact and hitting tape-measure shot home runs.

Johnson has connected on 34 long balls in his career, including 15 this past season — 13 with High-A Greensboro and two in 14 games with Double-A Altoona after a late-season promotion.

Working in Johnson’s favor is his youth. At just 20 years old (he turns 21 next June), Johnson will be one of the younger players to start the 2025 season in Double-A. He’s been challenged his whole career and the Pirates have been fairly aggressive in promoting him.

He’s also performed well so far in the Arizona Fall League. Through 11 games, Johnson has slashed .250/.444/.475 with five extra-base hits and more walks (14) than strikeouts (11) to go along with three stolen bases, four RBIs and nine runs scored.

Since he’s limited defensively as strictly a second baseman, Johnson’s bat will carry him to the big leagues. If he’s able to put it all together and make the flashes he’s shown more consistent, he looks primed for a long and successful big-league career. But the question remains if he will be able to do it.