Termarr Johnson Learning to Be a Different Hitter in Double-A Altoona
The jump from High-A Greensboro to Double-A Altoona is not an easy one for hitters.
Greensboro’s home ballpark in the already hitter-friendly South Atlantic League is a position player’s dream, but Peoples Natural Gas Field in Altoona is far from the same.
For Termarr Johnson and other Pittsburgh Pirates hitting prospects, it takes some getting used to, but there are some benefits of facing the challenges of change.
“It’s a little bit different. A lot of hits that you would get or home runs that you would get in Greensboro, you don’t get them here,” Johnson explained in Altoona’s clubhouse. “But it’s been really good from the standpoint of learning how to be a different hitter, honestly.”
Johnson was promoted to Altoona late last season after totaling 140 games in Greensboro between 2023-24.
Since joining the Curve, Johnson has bounced between a few different spots in the lineup, but he’s always been stationed near the top. The 21-year-old has hit leadoff 35 times, second 16 times and has been in the three-hole on 49 occasions.
The Pirates’ No. 6 prospect has crafted his game to wherever he’s batting, giving him different approaches at each spot.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to be at the top of the lineup, whether it be one, two or three, and obviously being the leadoff hitter, it’s a different type of hitter that you got to be,” Johnson explained. “You got to kind of get on base as opposed to being the three hitter, which is you got to drive in all the runs. It’s been really good learning how to be that hitter at the one, two and three.”
Since the start of August, Johnson has been in a much better spot at the plate. In 16 games this month, the left-handed hitter carries a strong .377/.418/.525 batting line with four doubles, one triple, one home run and nine RBI. He’s reached base safely in each of his last 10 games and is batting .450 (18 for 40) during that stretch.
Johnson, who carries a healthy 16.2% walk rate in his minor-league career, has been more aggressive hitting from the three hole during his hot stretch.
“Putting a little bit more emphasis on driving in runs and getting those extra-base hits and everything like that,” he said. “It’s been really good in the month of August with everything going on.”
On the season, Johnson is batting .270 with a .744 OPS, 14 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 34 RBI and 20 stolen bases – two shy of matching his career-high. His 116 wRC+ indicates he’s been a well above-average performer offensively.
In addition to adjustments he’s made, Johnson credits the behind the scenes work to his solid season.
“Just learning a lot about what I need to do in order to be prepared for each game. All the things that I need to do in the weight room, on the field, in the cage, all that,” he explained. “Just staying consistent in everything I need to do every single day and it’s been a really good thing for me.”
Johnson has played 115 games in Double-A between this year and last year and could end the season at Triple-A Indianapolis, which would leave him just one phone call away until he made his MLB debut with the Pirates.
While general manager Ben Cherington wouldn’t say for sure whether or not Johnson would get bumped up to the Pirates’ top affiliate, he’s encouraged by the season the 2022 first-round draft pick has had.
“If you zoom out and look at his age and performance, he’s been an above-average performer in a really tough hitting environment as one of the youngest players in the league,” Cherington said. “I understand there’s not as much loud attention around him as there is others, but we believe it’s been a really good season given all that context and trending better as the season goes on. Excited about where he’s at.”
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