Johnson celebrates 19th birthday in style

What's the best way to celebrate your birthday? If you're a professional baseball player, going bridge is a good way to start.

That's precisely what Termarr Johnson did on Sunday, slugging a three-run shot in Single-A Bradenton’s 9-8 extra-inning loss to the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Johnson, who is ranked baseball's No. 20 overall prospect, slugged his third long ball of the season and made a spectacular catch, proving he can get it done on both sides of the diamond.

The jack came in the seventh inning as he faced off against 6-foot-3 right-hander Grayson Thurman. With runners on first and second, the Pirates' No. 1 prospect hammered the first pitch he saw deep to right-center field, cutting Bradenton's deficit to 8-5.

The laser was his second homer in the month of June, during which he's touting a 12-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Johnson finished the game 1-for-4 with two walks, the advanced approach at the plate an encouraging sign for a hitter as young as Johnson, who just turned 19 years old.

In addition to showing off his plus power, Johnson made a sprawling grab in the fifth inning. The 2022 fourth overall pick showed an incredible display of focus, tracking down a popup in foul territory and making the grab while falling.

Johnson has had a relatively slow start to 2023. After a delayed debut due to injury, he has slashed .240/.406/.364. When talking to Jonathan Mayo last week, he acknowledged that he can’t try to do too much.

“I need to slow the game down,” Johnson told Mayo. “I can’t create anything the game doesn’t give me. I need to go back to what got me here. Doing that helped a lot. It’s only up from here.”

What got Johnson here was his incredible natural hitting ability that he displayed in high school. Scouts considered him one of the best pure prep hitters in years, with projectable power and elite hand-eye coordination. He also has continually shown polished decision-making when it comes to swings, which is evident by his willingness to take walks. Johnson may have gotten a slow start this season, but you can bet he will turn it around soon.