This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates have experienced a recent run of their first-round picks flying through the Minor Leagues. Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin are already stars in MLB. Seth Hernandez is a top prospect, and Derek Curiel looks to move quickly after his selection in 2026.
2022 top pick Termarr Johnson, though, is still finding his way.
The No. 4 pick in that year’s Draft is hitting .197 at Triple-A Indianapolis this season, climbing his way out of a slow start that has stretched into late July. Johnson, who’s playing second and leading off daily for Indianapolis, is still only 22 years old and hopes to live up to the hype.
“I feel like you don't necessarily learn how to be persistent unless you have situations where you need to be persistent, both on and off the field,” Johnson told MLB.com. “...Obviously, as a human, you only get to do this thing once. And I desire to do it right. I desire to do it at a high level every single day.”
Johnson’s oldest brother and trainer, Tervont, said the original goal was for his youngest brother to make the Majors at 19. Johnson hasn’t exactly followed the initial script, but Tervont feels the process will help him in the long term.
Reginald Austin, Johnson’s high school coach at Mays High School (GA), said the pressure has always been on Johnson as a “can’t miss kid.” Austin, who’s the father of Orioles prospect and Johnson’s close friend RJ Austin, remembers times where Johnson put the pressure on himself, expecting to hit multiple home runs in a game and not being satisfied with just a few base hits. Austin reminded him that baseball is a “failure sport.”
“The biggest pressure he had to deal with was trying to be Superman at baseball at all times,” Austin said.
“I'm fortunate enough to, in pro ball, you play every day for six, seven months a lot of the year,” Johnson said, “to be able to learn from both the good and the bad things, the home runs, the stolen bases, the games we win. And even the errors, the strikeouts and everything that comes with baseball.”
Austin feels Johnson’s defense has developed compared to his prep years. The power has also grown in his eyes, and if it mixes with Johnson’s original scouting report as a pure hitter, Johnson will be a special player, Austin said.
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At times over the past few years, Austin had seen Johnson not having fun in baseball. Through early struggles, Johnson wasn’t smiling as much. Austin has recently seen the smile return, and Johnson’s joy for the game revived.
As a result, Johnson is finding the positives in a rough patch.
“This season overall has been really good in its own way, learning a lot of really good life lessons,” Johnson said. “Obviously, it could be a little bit better on the field. But I believe the lessons that I've learned have strengthened me.”