Could Termarr Johnson Be Pirates' Shortstop of the Future?
Few things are as important for a team as having a solid and reliable shortstop and figuring out who that player will be for the Pittsburgh Pirates' more prevalent needs this offseason.
The Oneil Cruz experiment at shortstop came to a halt this season when Pittsburgh opted to move him to center field at the end of August and it appears to be where he'll play for the foreseeable future. Cruz had 24 errors at shortstop, which only trailed Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz for the most errors in baseball before the Pirates changed his position.
Cruz being moved to center field leaves a big question mark at shortstop and few options internally or externally are a slam dunk heading into the 2025 season. Could that pave the way for one of the Pirates' top prospects to get a shot as soon as next year?
Termarr Johnson has played second base and shortstop throughout the pro ranks and has started two of the three games at short in the Arizona Fall League. Across the two starts, Johnson has one throwing error to show for his time at shortstop.
Johnson, 20, started 99 games in the field in 2024, 63 of which were at second base and 36 came at shortstop in his stint at High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona.
The No. 75 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline played 559 innings at second base, recording 108 putouts and he made nine errors, giving him a .967 fielding percentage. In his time at shortstop, Johnson recorded 45 putouts and made six errors, finishing the season with a .955 fielding percentage at short.
While it's far from the end-all-be-all, Johnson getting an extended run at shortstop is a boon for a franchise that's looking for an answer at the position. Johnson's bat is largely what has made him such a highly-touted prospect, but the ability to play both middle infield positions well, especially at shortstop, increases his value exponentially if and when he reaches the big leagues.
If Johnson can prove to play an adequate shortstop in the AFL, it could lead to the Pirates giving him more of a look at the position. And if he can continue to improve defensively and flash promise at shortstop, Pittsburgh giving him a chance at the position may not be as far-fetched as it appeared heading into the offseason.
