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 the following 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 be 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 know I’m going to be facing guys with great stuff, but I hope to keep doing that and continue my success.”
Johnson is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound middle infielder who many see switching to second base at the next level, though he — no shock — believes he’s good enough to stick at shortstop. MLB Pipeline graded Johnson’s bat 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, which will come from the Pirates’ fourth-largest bonus pool of $13,733,900.
Baseball America tabbed Johnson as the fourth-best prospect available and considered him “best pure hitter” among prep players. Also looking at strictly high schoolers, he was considered the second closest to the majors and third-best defensive infielder by Baseball America.
“I love this game,” Johnson said. “It’s my passion. It’s given 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 in person. It’s something he chalked up to attending the festivities last year at Coors Field in Denver — he took part in the high school events — and watching Henry Davis and others enjoy themselves.
“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 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.
Fellow Pirates prospects Bubba Chandler and Braylon Bishop are two players Johnson knows from playing against them in showcase tournaments, but no Pittsburgh sales pitch was necessary. Johnson said he’s pumped to join the Pirates.
“It definitely excites me,” Johnson said. “It makes me feel prepared to go to work and make sure the rebuild is successful.”
Pirates fans should love 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.
How Johnson carries himself is something he attributed to how he was raised by his parents, Terry and Kim. After an appearance on 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 players 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 and be respectful to everybody because that’s how I was raised.”
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 the organization 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. Johnson’s selection represents the culmination of a ton of hard work, more practices than anyone could ever count and 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 couple rings and be an All-Star. I’m going to put myself in that position, and I know the Pirates are going to put me in position to be that guy.”
College arm in comp round
With their compensatory-round pick (36th overall), the Pirates selected right-handed pitcher Thomas Harrington from Campbell University, a high-ceiling hurler MLB Pipeline had ranked 45th among draft-eligible prospects.
A 21-year-old from Sanford, N.C. who’s listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Harrington began his college career as a walk-on and became the Big South Conference freshman of the year in 2021.
Harrington primarily throws a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s. The pitch has exceptional movement, and he pairs it with an above-average changeup. He also has a solid slider and a usable curveball.
This past spring, Harrington had a 2.53 ERA in 15 starts totaling 92 2/3 innings, with 18 walks and 111 strikeouts.
Second-round selection
The run on college arms continued for the Pirates in the second round with the 44th pick of the MLB draft, as they took lefty Hunter Barco from Florida, who’s coming off Tommy John surgery.
MLB Pipeline considered Barco the 75th-best prospect available. Barco is a 21-year-old from Jacksonville, Fla. He made nine starts before surgery, going 5-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 69 strikeouts across 50 1/3 innings.
Barco was the highest-ranked lefty available in the 2019 MLB draft but didn’t go until the 24th round because teams knew he was committed to Florida. While relying primarily on fastballs and sliders, Barco sits around 92 mph with his velocity and has touched 95.
Similar to Anthony Solometo, the Pirates’ second-round pick in 2021, Barco thrives on a cross-body delivery that creates deception and makes his heater even harder to hit.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: July 17, 2022, 11:40 p.m.
