LOS ANGELES — Termarr Johnson doesn’t lack for confidence. Not in a cocky way or anything like that, but there’s a clear belief in himself, the type of swagger that leads one to say this after the Pirates made him the fourth overall pick on Sunday at the MLB draft.
“I think the Pittsburgh Pirates got the best player in the draft,” Johnson said in a room adjacent to L.A. Live’s Xbox Plaza, where he was surrounded by two dozen family members and friends.
Johnson, a high school hitting phenom from Mays High School in Atlanta, has plenty of reason to believe in himself. The fourth-best player available according to MLB Pipeline, scouts have said Johnson might one of the best high school hitters in decades, seemingly making him an easy selection at No. 4 overall.
“Seeing the ball, using my eyes, it’s a gift for me,” Johnson said. “I hope to keep doing that. I know I’m going to be facing guys throwing 100 mph. I’m gonna be facing guys who are bringing the stuff. I hope to keep doing that and keep up with my success.”
Johnson is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound middle infielder who many see switching to shortstop at the next level, though he — no shock — believes he’s good enough to stick at shortstop. MLB Pipeline graded Johnson’s hitting as a 70 on scouts’ traditional 20-to-80 scale, projecting him as a 20-to-30-homer guy in the big leagues.
An Arizona State recruit, Johnson was selected to play in the 2021 Perfect Game All-American Classic and was a 2022 Preseason All-American and Southeast All-Region First Team selection.
The fourth pick in the MLB draft carries a slot value of $7,002,100, and the Pirates also have the fourth-largest bonus pool: $13,733,900. They make two more selections on Sunday night: a compensatory pick that’s 36th overall and also a second-round selection (No. 44 overall).
Baseball America also tabbed Johnson as the fourth-best prospect available and considered him “best pure hitter” available among prep players. Also looking at strictly high school players, he was considered the second closest to the majors and third-best defensive infielder by Baseball America.
“I love this game,” Johnson said. “I’m out here every day. I played games until about four days before the draft. I love this game. It keeps your mind off a lot. It’s just my passion. It gave me a lot. I want to give it all back.”
Among the top draft prospects, Johnson was the first off the board who was here person. It’s something he chalked up to attending the festivities last year at Coors Field in Denver, watching Henry Davis and others enjoy themselves.
The family-oriented Johnson also insisted that his brothers, parents and a whole bunch of others make the trip along with him, the Johnsons traveling together through the crowd outdoor plaza.
“It means everything to me,” Johnson said. “Being out here with the people who got me to this point, who have supported me and made me a better person and player, it’s amazing.”
Johnson has a compact swing from the left side of the plate, but possesses a surprising amount of power for his frame. One comparison MLB Network drew at the recent scouting combine was to Robinson Cano — to which Johnson agreed.
Already Johnson said he knows Pirates prospects Bubba Chandler and Braylon Bishop from playing against them in showcase tournaments, but so excited is Johnson to join the Pirates that he said no sales pitch was necessary. He wants to be a part of this thing.
“It definitely excites me,” Johnson said. “It makes me feel prepared to go to work and make sure the rebuild is successful.”
It should be extremely easy for Pirates fans to like the affable and polite Johnson. As he exited his formal interview here, he screamed “Let’s go, Pittsburgh!” While posing for pictures, Johnson couldn’t help dancing and laughing with his brothers.
He’s not shy and unfailingly polite, something he attributed to how he was raised by his parents, Terry and Kim. After an appearance with SiriusXM, Johnson walked out to the street to sign autographs and pose for pictures with a group of young kids calling his name. He was one of the only ones here to do that.
“I go about life like every day is my last,” Johnson said. “I like to give people good impressions. I like be personable. I like to treat myself like a regular person. I like to say ‘hey’ to everybody. I like to hug everybody, shake everybody’s hand, be respectful to everybody because that’s how I was taught, how I grew up. That’s how my brothers are, so I have to do that also.”
Surrounded by loved ones, Johnson was visibly emotional when he took the stage. The 15-minute wait had been tough, Johnson said, especially when his name had been batted around as a possibility at No. 1.
After waiting and checking his phone and waiting a little more, Johnson was tabbed by the Pirates, Pittsburgh believing it can benefit from his smooth, powerful swing and afford them with another offensive option for the ongoing rebuild.
Johnson can’t wait. Told Pittsburgh was excited about his selection, he answered, “I’m ready for them. I’m so ready.”
Again, the confidence. And also the lack of pretense. When Johnson was selected, it was the culmination of a ton of hard work, more practices than anyone could ever count, an incalculable number of hours spent honing his swing.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Johnson said. “Waking up at 7 in the morning, working out four times a day, eating the right food, making sure I’m physically and mentally ready to play, just doing everything I can to put myself in this position … it’s amazing that I get to do this.
“At the end of the day, I want to win a ring. I want to win a couple rings, and I want to be an All-Star. I’m going to put myself in that position, and I know the Pirates are going to put me in that position to be that guy.”
