Pirates Promote Top Prospect

The Pittsburgh Pirates are encouraged by the development of their former first-round pick.

Jul 29, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first round pick Termarr Johnson and fourth overall player drafted in the 2022 MLB Draft takes batting practice before the Pirates host the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- One of the Pittsburgh Pirates' top prospects is taking another step towards the big leagues with a promotion to Double-A.

Infielder Termarr Johnson, the Pirates' first-round pick at No. 4 overall in the 2022 MLB draft, will join the Altoona Curve this week after spending the entirety of his season with High-A Greensboro up to this point. MILB Central's Chase Ford was the first to break the news.

MLB Pipeline currently ranks Johnson as the team's No. 3 prospect and the No. 83 overall farmhand across the league. He represented Pittsburgh at the All-Star Futures Game this year and has slashed .238/.372/.385 with 13 home runs, 46 RBIs and 20 stolen bases over 110 games.

Johnson forwent his commitment to play at Arizona State after the Pirates selected and signed him to a deal worth a signing bonus of $7,219,000.

He began his professional career at 18-years-old in the Florida Complex League, where he appeared in nine games and slashed .130/.310/.217. Johnson closed out 2022 in the Florida State League with Low-A Bradenton, batting .275/.396/.450 with one home run over 14 contests.

He was named a top-50 prospect in the sport ahead of the 2023 campaign by Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and MLB Pipeline. Johnson picked up where he left off with Bradenton to begin the season, hitting .244/.420/.448 to go with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs.

He was promoted to Greensboro on August 1 of that year and posted a near-identical slash line of .242/.428/.414 in his first 30 games with the Grasshoppers to close out the season. Baseball America later labelled Johnson as the Pirates' 2023 Minor League Player Of The Year for his performance.

The 20-year-old is now just two levels away from the majors and could theoretically appear in a Pirates uniform at the end of next season if everything breaks his way, though a 2026 debut is more realistic.

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