Pirates Prospect Termarr Johnson Wants Us To See Him Play

Back in early October, Termarr Johnson self-assuredly told MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis that he is continuing to work on being “the best hitter in the world.” The 20-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates prospect didn’t put it quite that way when I spoke to him days later, but he did exude determination and confidence when addressing his craft. That’s understandable. Drafted fourth overall in 2022 out of Atlanta’s Mays High School, Johnson remains a high-ceiling hitter, albeit one whose developmental path hasn’t been as smooth as many had anticipated.

His 2024 season included both stumbles and strides. The 5-foot-7, 190-pound middle infielder logged a solid 121 wRC+ between High-A Greensboro (487 plate appearances) and Double-A Altoona (57), but as our lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen wrote last summer, Johnson’s “underlying contact data is pretty concerning.” Moreover, while his 15 home runs were indicative of plus power potential, the accompanying .386 slugging percentage was a bit underwhelming. Johnson’s left-handed stroke is unquestionably capable of causing damage, but further fine-tuning is needed before that can happen at the big league level.

Johnson discussed his approach to hitting shortly after the start of the Arizona Fall League season.

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David Laurila: You’re still just 20 years old. Do you feel that you’ve settled into your identity as a hitter?

Termarr Johnson: “For sure. I feel like I have a pretty good swing, and I hit the ball hard pretty often, so I’m just trying to keep a good approach and bring the pitcher to me. I feel like that puts me in the best position possible. And to be honest with you, I’m a different hitter every at-bat. I’m a different hitter based on… like, every pitcher is different. Every pitch is different. Every situation is different. I’ll be a different hitter if there’s a runner on base and I’m trying to get him in, late in the game, or I’ll be a different hitter when I’m leading off the game.”

Laurila: That’s basically approach. What about mechanically?

Johnson: “Again, everything is different. It’s different pitch-by-pitch. It varies, because you might have a guy doing something and you have to adjust. You can’t just do one thing and expect the same result. You’ve got to be adjustable.”

Laurila: That said, I assume any adjustments you make are going to come off of a baseline. You have a core stance, a core swing…

Johnson: “It’s weird, man. It’s weird because it looks the same. If I go on video… I mean, honestly, my swing feels different than the way it looks. You’d see the same setup, the same swing, but when I’m up there and it’s me versus the pitcher, something is always different.”

Laurila: Adjustability aside, are you generally looking to catch the ball out front, or are you more looking to let it travel?

Johnson: “It’s pitcher specific. You don’t want to try to catch the ball out front when a guy is throwing a sinker, because you’re going to swing over it more times than not. And you don’t want to see it deep with a guy who’s throwing 99 [mph]. You want to be on time. Again, it’s going to be different every at-bat.”

Laurila: That’s part of your identity at the plate…

Johnson: “I’m a hitter, man. There are a lot of things that I believe make me who I am. But there are also a lot of coaches and a lot of people I’ve had along the way who have helped me become who I am. You’ve got to use those people. You don’t want to be too stuck up on what you have going on, but at the same time, you want to believe in what you have going on.”

Laurila: Are you big on scouting reports?

Johnson: “Not really. I like to see it with my eyes. You can look at a scouting report, but the guy might be having something completely different out there. He may not be having a feel for some type of pitch, so he’s going with something else. It varies. Something I’ve learned in this game is that it varies each day.”

Laurila: Regardless of what you’re seeing in a given game, are you generally hunting fastballs middle and making adjustments from there?

Johnson: “Like I’ve been saying, man, it’s different. Sometimes you may be wanting to simplify it and look to hit the ball back up the middle. Sometimes you want to be specific on what you want to hit; maybe you’re looking at a pitch in one spot. Things like that. But believing in what you’re doing when you step up in that box is what puts you in the best position possible.”

Laurila: What tends to be the issue when you’re not going well at the plate?

Johnson: “Timing. You always want to be on time. If you’re on time, you’re probably in a good position. If you’re late, that doesn’t really come with too many good results. Another factor could be that you’re hitting the ball well, you’re just hitting it right at people. There are eight fielders to worry about. Sometimes you’ve got to be that guy who is lucky and isn’t hitting it to where a guy is at. But it’s still about process. You don’t want to be 100% based on the result, because the results change. You can do it all right and still not get the result you want. You have to be focused on what you’re doing, and how you’re preparing yourself to do it.”

Laurila: There’s one more thing we should touch on. How much juice do you have in your bat?

Johnson: “I mean, do you guys know that? Do you know how much juice I have?

Laurila: I haven’t actually seen you play yet.

Johnson: “You’ve never seen me play? Come on now, you’ve got to watch me play.”

Laurila: That’s one of the reasons I’m out here in Arizona…

Johnson: “You’ve got to see me play, man. In order to know who I am, you’ve got to watch the game. Then you’ll find some answers, for sure.”

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