The Pittsburgh Pirates have not placed higher than third in the National League Central in close to a decade. Last year, they finished with a not-so-stellar 76 wins and 86 losses. However, their pitching rotation was not at fault for a majority of their problems.
2024 National League Rookie of the Year recipient Paul Skenes paved the way as the ace of the staff. He had an impressive 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings pitched. Mitch Keller was a good (not great) number two behind Skenes. He gave the Pirates a respectable 178 innings pitched in 31 starts. Also, Jared Jones flashed elite top-of-the-line stuff with his upper-90s fastball paired with a nasty sweeper averaging over 20 inches of horizontal break.
The main issue with the 2024 Pirates was their subpar offensive lineup construction, as the team finished 23rd out of 30 MLB teams across all hitting categories. However, Pirates fans should sleep comfortably knowing there is an immediate solution: a 20-year-old prospect named Termarr Johnson.
Who is Termarr Johnson?
With the fourth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, the Pirates took Johnson straight out of Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta, Georgia. At Mays, Johnson was just under a .400 career hitter. His highly decorated Perfect Game profile graded him a 10 out of 10 ranking, given only to the most immaculate of high school prospects. He was also ranked the No. 3 overall player in his class and the No. 1 shortstop.
Currently, Johnson is just 20 years old. He currently ranks as the Pirates’ No. 3 overall prospect and No.2 offensive prospect. Johnson’s most recent season concluded at the Double-A level with the Altoona Curve. In Double-A, Johnson hit .243 with four extra-base hits in the very limited sample size of 57 at-bats.
Why the 2025 Pirates Need Johnson in the Lineup
Johnson’s draft profile provided by MLB.com ranked his hit tool at 70 out of 80 which equates to “plus plus” or elite capabilities. In fact, some scouts individually ranked Johnson’s power at a perfect 80 out of 80. One even went as far as to say Johnson’s pop is “the best he’s ever seen.” MLB.com also lists his power at 60, which demonstrates “above average.” To put it simply, this kid can flat-out hit, and that’s exactly what the Pirates desperately need.
Johnson’s electric, twitchy nature is extremely appealing. He stands at just 5’7″, but plays the game with a sense of urgency, intensity, and flare at all times. Johnson draws a striking resemblance to fan-favorite Josh Harrison by not only his physical size but the way he plays the game. However, Johnson’s projected ceiling as a hitter is light years beyond the .200 player that Harrison was during his Pirates tenure.
Once he’s called up to the MLB club, Johnson would more than likely forfeit his status as a shortstop and settle for second base, opposite rising star Oneil Cruz. If Johnson could cut down his strikeout rate, he could slot perfectly into the Pirates offense as a potential leadoff hitter before Bryan Reynolds and Cruz. He gives the offense a jolt of speed and power that they’ve been desperately in search of for almost a decade.
The Pirates proved last season with Paul Skenes that they aren’t afraid to bring prospects up on the fast track. With a bit more time in Double-A and potentially even Triple-A to polish up his chase and strikeout rates, Johnson could join the active roster before June.
Once Termarr Johnson arrives in PNC Park, he will cement himself as a Pirates fan favorite for many years to come.
Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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