Three Pirates Position Player Prospects Close to Making Majors
PITTSBURGH -- It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Pirates have owned one of MLB's least productive offenses this season, but the team has a number of prospects in the upper levels of their minor league system who should help buck that trend sooner rather than later.
Though the Pirates' system isn't quite as vaunted as it once was due to the graduation of several of their top farmhands to the majors, there's still plenty of tantalizing talent remaining among their ranks.
The organization's developmental strength still skews rather heavily towards pitching, but there are a few names on the position player front that are worth keeping an eye on as potential candidates for a call-up in the near future.
Termarr Johnson, 2B/SS
Ranked as the No. 81 prospect in the league and No. 3 in Pittsburgh's system by MLB Pipeline, Johnson was viewed as a blue-chip talent from the moment he was selected with the No. 4 pick out of high school in the 2022 MLB draft.
At 18-years-old, he slashed .222/.366/.365 over 23 games in the Florida Complex League and with Low-A Bradenton in 2022. Entering the following season as Pipeline's No. 26 overall prospect, Johnson stepped up his game with 18 home runs and 59 RBIs across 105 games with Bradenton and High-A Greensboro. His 2023 campaign earned him Pirates Minor League Player of the Year honors from Baseball America.
Johnson hit .238/.372/.385 to go with 13 home runs, 46 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 110 games for Greensboro this year before receiving a promotion to Double-A Altoona last week. An All-Star Futures Game participant, he has batted .118/.318/.294 over six games with the Curve thus far.
A promotion in September or even the first half of the 2025 season feels unlikely for Johnson, who turned 20-years-old in June. He has some issues to iron out regarding his hit tool and has to learn how to convert his raw power into more consistent results, but there truly is no ceiling for a player of his caliber.
Johnson will likely stick with Altoona to begin 2025 and could move up to Triple-A Indianapolis during the year, putting him in line for a potential major league debut at the end of next season or by the start of 2026 if all goes well.
Nick Yorke, 2B/OF
Acquired at this year's trade deadline from the Boston Red Sox for another former top prospect in right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester, Yorke is knocking on the door of the big leagues.
Selected No. 17 overall in the 2020 draft by Boston, Yorke was a consensus top-60 prospect in the league after hitting .325/.412/.516 in 2021, his first season in the minors. His regressed considerably in '22, however, recording a .668 OPS and 84 wRC+ over 80 games with High-A Greenville.
Yorke bounced back with 13 homers, a .785 OPS and 116 wRC+ in Double-A in '23, securing him a trip to the Futures Game along the way. He's made another leap this season as well, slashing .297/.375/.439 overall while tallying a .899 OPS with Indianapolis since joining the Pirates' organization.
Pinned as the No. 6 prospect in Pittsburgh's system by Pipeline, Yorke is a do-it-all kind of hitter who avoids strikeouts and possesses a high floor, meaning he'll likely slot in as a consistent producer in the middle of the lineup while playing nearly everyday.
With 67 contests under his belt at Triple-A as a 22-year-old, Yorke is a prime call-up candidate over the concluding weeks of the 2024 season. He is Rule 5-eligible this offseason, which should give the Pirates further incentive to add him to their 40-man roster and see what he can provide at the major league level this year.
Billy Cook, 2B/OF
Another deadline acquisition of the Pirates, Cook came over from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for right-handed pitcher Patrick Reilly.
An older prospect at 25-years-old, Cook was selected in the 10th round of the 2021 draft out of Pepperdine University. He hit 57 home runs and stole 81 bases over 347 games in Baltimore's system before being shipped off to Pittsburgh.
Cook has slashed .276/.391/.460 with three home runs, 13 RBIs and eight stolen bases in 26 games with Indianapolis thus far.
Rated as the No. 24 Pirates prospect by Pipeline, he profiles as a utility player in the majors due to his plus-speed and arm strength. Cook may never materialize into an above-average hitter or even a regular for Pittsburgh, but he doesn't necessarily need to in order for him to be a valuable part of the roster.
He is also Rule 5 eligible in December, so the Pirates could opt to promote him to the bigs and give him an audition to close out the regular season and see what he brings to the table against stiffer competition.
JACK MARKOWSKI