Around the Curve | Johnson Waiting for His Chance

This story is part of the series 2026 Spring Break: Young Bucs Edition, a compilation of reports from Bradenton leading up to Opening Day.

BRADENTON, Fla. – When the long baseball season comes to an end, most players will take some time off. It’s a time perhaps to return home and visit family, go on vacation, or just relax after many months of hard work.

That was not the case for the Pirates No. 7 prospect, Termarr Johnson.

“I think I benefitted a lot when I came down to Pirate City in November,” Johnson recalled at Pirates Spring Training. “I got some really good work in with the training staff, the performance staff, and the hitting coaches, which helped me be prepared (for spring) with a really good routine.”

Over the course of six weeks last fall, Altoona’s 2025 batting champion worked with Pirates’ staff in Florida, focusing on getting stronger while keeping a good amount of his body weight. This, in addition to growth on the mental and preparation side that he attributes to his time in Altoona last season, has Johnson feeling like he is in a good place this spring.

Johnson spent time at Major League camp as a non-roster invite, with his time coming to an end last Thursday as one of eight players re-assigned to Minor League Spring Training at Pirate City. It was his third spring on the Major League side of camp, and it did not disappoint, as he hit .368 (7-for-19) with a double, a triple, and five RBI.

This production, in addition to his continued offseason work, caught the eye of Pirates skipper Don Kelly.

“He’s grown a lot, just his maturity, the questions he asks, his work and the way he goes about it,” Kelly told a pool of reporters at Spring Training. “At 21 years old, I certainly was not in Double-A, and I don’t think there are many guys that are. For him to have the season he had last year and continue to show that growth and development and maturity on and off the field, I’m really proud of him.”

It can be easy to forget just how young Johnson is and how his pace in rising through the Minor League ranks has certainly been age appropriate. This reality becomes slightly more blurred when compared to another recent Pirates high school first round draft pick, Konnor Griffin, who has soared through the ranks becoming the top prospect in baseball.

Johnson opened the 2025 season in Altoona at 20-years-old, making him the youngest player in the Eastern League and the seventh youngest at Double-A (two days younger than Reading’s Aidan Miller.) It wasn’t until August 28 that he faced a pitcher who was younger than him for the first time in his entire professional career (Alex Clemmey, Harrisburg.)

He led qualified hitters on the Curve with a .272 batting average (a career-best mark), knocking 15 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs in 119 games. He also stole 20 bases and cut back his strikeout rate, going from 116 in 2024 to 93 in 2025. It was the first season in his four-year career where he finished the campaign with the same affiliate that he started.

Johnson has credited playing at Peoples Natural Gas Field with helping to develop his approach at the plate. With the ballpark favoring the pitcher, it forced him to hit more line drives and less fly balls, making him a more versatile hitter.

All things considered, Johnson remains on a steady path through the minors, with a likely stop in Indianapolis this season. One thing playing against his chances to see the Major Leagues this season is the crowded infield at PNC Park, with offseason acquisitions Ryan O’Hearn and Brandon Lowe joining forces with Jared Triolo, Spencer Horwitz, and Nick Gonzales, not to mention Griffin’s impending debut.

These offseason acquisitions could be seen as competition and viewed negatively by some players. The opposite can be said for Johnson, who says he has noticed a positive change in the clubhouse this spring from past seasons.

“This team has a different type of vibe to it,” Johnson said. “The culture is a little bit different to what I’ve been accustomed to and what I’ve seen over the years, and I want to be a part of it. To get the opportunity to help this team win is going to be so cool, and with the opportunity I will get, I’m not going to be a minute short of putting in the work, being motivational to the guys, and ultimately helping this team win.”

With Johnson still off the 40-man roster, it’s more likely to see fill-in opportunities throughout the season go to the likes of Nick Yorke and Enmanuel Valdez, or even Jack Brannigan, who joined the 40-man this offseason.

Johnson is also all but limited to second base, as he has made 268 career appearances there, compared to just 49 at shortstop with none in 2025. Regardless, he is hoping his performance this season generates a spot for him in Pittsburgh regardless of who starts there.

Whether or not that call comes this season is yet to be seen, but for Johnson, he knows he will be ready when it does.

“I just need a chance, man,” Johnson expressed. “I’m confident in myself and the work I’m going to put in. I know what I’m working towards, and this team is very important to me. I want a chance to help this team win, and I know I can do it.”

Stay tuned to the Around the Curve blog all month for our 2026 Spring Break: Young Bucs Edition series, with Jon Mozes and Preston Shoemaker reporting from Bradenton.