Pirates' Termarr Johnson Impressing Manager in Spring Training
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PITTSBURGH — Termarr Johnson has a big season ahead of him for the Pittsburgh Pirates and he's shown improvements so far in Spring Training.
Johnson has slashed .389/.450/.556 for an OPS of 1.006 in nine games, with seven hits in 18 at-bats, a double, a triple, five RBI, plus two walks to just four strikeouts in the Grapefruit League.
He also has started three games for the Pirates, twice at second base and also at designated hitter, with two of those three starts coming the past two days, where he's hit an RBI-single in both games.
Johnson's play has made a good impression on Pirates manager Don Kelly, who's ready to see him get better throughout 2026.
"Yeah results, he had a big hit yesterday, drive in a run, continues to get better," Don Kelly said in a video from DK Pittsburgh Sports. "We talked about it the other day with maturity. He continues to grow as a person and player, refining his skills. Really excited what he's been able to do this spring."
Termarr Johnson's 2025 Campaign
The Pirates took Johnson with the fourth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta, Ga. and last year marked his third full professionals eason.
Johnson spent all of 2025 with Altoona, slashing .272/.363/.382 for an OPS of .745 in 119 games, with 118 hits, 15 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 35 RBIs, 59 walks to 93 strikeouts and 20 stolen bases on 32 attempts.
He ranked sixth in the Eastern League in on-base percentage and runs (67), tied for sixth in hits, tied for eighth in walks, eighth in batting average and 15th in OPS.
Johnson hit best in the last two months of the season, slashing .326/.425/.419 for an OPS of .843 in 36 games from Aug. 1-Sept. 18, with 42 hits in 129 at-bats, seven doubles, one triple, one home run, 10 RBIs, 20 walks to 28 strikeouts.
His late form helped Atloona clinch the Eastern League West Second Half Division Title, putting them in the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
Johnson also got a chance to form an infield partnership with shortstop Konnor Griffin, the consensus top prospect in all of baseball, for the final 20 games or so with Altoona.
The 2025 season was the best Johnson has had statistically, as he slashed .238/.372/.385 for an OPS of .757 in 110 games with High-A Greensboro in 2024 and .244/.422/.438 for an OPS of .860 in 105 games between Single-A Bradenton and Greensboro.
Johnson also improved against left-handed pitching in 2025, slashing .314/.375/.407 for an OPS of .782 compared to slashing .198/.323/.311 for an OPS of .634 in 2024.
The Pirates need the seventh best prospect in their farm system to have a strong showing in 2026, and if he performs well at Triple-A Indianapolis, it could be a big deal for him in 2027.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.