Termarr Johnson Ranked Top Second Base Prospect by Pipeline

In addition to having the top rated right-handed pitching prospect, the Pittsburgh Pirates now have the top second base prospect in the league.

MLB Pipeline tabbed Paul Skenes the top right-hander last week, and have now ranked Termarr Johnson as their top second base prospect.

Johnson was selected fourth overall in the 2022 draft out of Mays High School just outside of Atlanta, Ga.

When he was selected by the Pirates, Johnson carried a terrific outlook at the plate. In his draft profile, Pipeline compared elements of his game to Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Vladimir Guerrero Sr.

While certain elements of his original outlook hold true, he doesn’t have the same outlook as originally projected.

The biggest concern for Johnson is that his original 70-grade hit tool has dropped. In 462 plate appearances last season between Single-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro, Johnson struck out roughly 26% of the time. The high strikeout clip resulted in a lowly .244 batting average on the season.

With that being said, Johnson still showed plenty of upside with the bat in his hands.

He offset his higher-than-desired strikeout numbers by drawing 101 walks on the season (21.9% walk rate). This led to a staggering .422 on-base percentage in his first full-season of affiliated baseball.

Johnson was able to flash his power stroke during his time in Bradenton. In 75 games with the Marauders, Johnson slugged 13 home runs to go along with 44 RBIs in 75 games.

With his impressive swing that has been raved about since his days as a high schooler, there is certainly the potential for more consistency in the power department with mentions of 25-plus home run potential.

Even though Johnson is an offense-first prospect, he carries value in the field from his second base position. Pipeline is tied with Seattle Mariners prospect Ryan Bliss with a 55-grade field tool, tied for the best amongst the top 10.

Pipeline also says Termarr Johnson has the highest ceiling of any of the top second base prospects listed.