For 1st-round pick Termarr Johnson, signing with Pirates 'everything I dreamed of'

After signing for a $7,219,000 bonus, Termarr Johnson took his first cuts in batting practice for the Pittsburgh Pirates with a left-handed swing custom-made for PNC Park’s short right porch.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Johnson smiled when comparing the actual experience of blasting balls onto the riverwalk to that of the outsized alter ego he created when playing the video-game version.

“It’s amazing, to say the least. I did a lot of that on MLB: The Show,” said Johnson, 18, of Atlanta. “Just doing it in real life, with my own swing, it’s kind cool. It’s really cool. … I made him the tallest player possible. I play with every single attribute.”

Pirates first-round pick Termarr Johnson takes his first cuts in the batting cage at PNC Park after signing for $7,219,000. pic.twitter.com/ZYTi6ma40Z

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) July 29, 2022

Termarr Johnson said taking batting practice at PNC Park was even better than playing MLB: The Show, even if he’s not as tall in real life as he is makes himself in the video game. pic.twitter.com/QK0s9g8KAh

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) July 30, 2022

The Pirates believe as much, which is why they paid their first-round pick from Atlanta’s Mays High School $213,200 above the slot value ($7,005,800) for the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.

It was the sixth-highest bonus given to a high school prospect in draft history. The top two picks in this draft also were prep stars: Baltimore signed No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday to a $8.19 million bonus, which is $600,000 more than Arizona gave No. 2 pick Druw Jones.

The Pirates, meantime, used every penny of their $13,741,300 bonus pool to sign their 11 picks in the first 10 rounds and have signed 18 of 21 total selections. General manager Ben Cherington said he doesn’t anticipate signing the other three draftees.

The Pirates’ first round draft pick in 2022 at No. 4 overall, Termarr Johnson, is here at PNC Park. Johnson signed with the team today and is expected to take BP here shortly. pic.twitter.com/nXHdCOWh48

— Justin Guerriero (@GuerrieroTRIB) July 29, 2022

Johnson came onto the national radar after hitting .417 with eight doubles, five triples and nine home runs as a junior at Mays. As a senior, Johnson was named the Atlanta Public Schools Player of the Year after hitting .561 (23 for 41) with nine doubles, a triple, six home runs, 19 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

It’s no wonder Johnson was rated the No. 4 prospect in the draft by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline and regarded as the best pure hitter in the draft in decades.

Pirates GM Ben Cherington talks about what makes first-round pick Termarr Johnson a special player. pic.twitter.com/8KUOipmNAj

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) July 30, 2022

Cherington touted the combination of “bat speed with power, contact and the ability to manipulate the barrel” as three traits that distinguish Johnson. But Cherington also sees Johnson as having the potential to be an excellent defender at shortstop.

“We’re definitely excited about the potential he has as an offensive player,” Cherington said. “If you Google his name, sometimes that’s the first thing that you read in the articles, but we really think he’s got a good chance to be a well-rounded player, also.

“He’s got instincts on defense. He’s got his hands. He can make plays from different angles. He’s acrobatic and can throw from different angles. He works really hard on defense. He’s an incredible student of the game. We have a lot of confidence in him as a defensive player, a baserunner and as an overall player. But, yeah, you don’t take someone at 4 unless you believe in the bat, so he’s an exciting young man.”

So exciting that Pirates manager Derek Shelton, a former hitting coach with Cleveland and Tampa Bay, compared Johnson’s swing to that of former Atlanta Braves batting champion Terry Pendleton, the 1991 NL MVP, because of his setup and bat speed.

“I’ve heard a lot of comparisons,” Johnson said, rattling off the names of Jose Ramirez, Robinson Cano and Pendelton, “and even a little bit of Barry Bonds, which is kind of crazy. It’s a great compliment to have, and I know for me, I mix everything I see in one and try to make it work for my swing. Kind have my only little thing, and it’s working right now. If I have to make any adjustments, I’m open to making those adjustments to get to PNC Park as soon as possible.”

The Pirates also love Johnson’s character, charisma and, most of all, his confidence. More than anything, Shelton loved that Johnson declared himself the best player in the draft and isn’t shy about stating his major league goals as wanting to win a World Series with the Pirates and become a Hall of Fame player.

“When I had my conversation with him after we drafted him, I told him, ‘I love your confidence, man,’ ” Shelton said, noting that it pairs well with catcher Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick last year. “To get another like that … I love guys who believe in in their abilities. Once we got him and started to talk to people just about how much fun he has playing the game, that’s awesome. That fits right into what we’re doing.”

Cherington took special delight in seeing Johnson’s family – mother Kim, father Terry and older brothers Trevont, 24, Terrenz, 22, and Tervell, 19 – watch Termarr take batting practice. After a fouling off the first few pitches, he launched a handful over the fence in right-center.

“It’s everything I dreamed of,” Johnson said. “Backdrop with the bridge and the water and everything, it’s really amazing. It’s better than the Braves’ stadium. It’s tough. On The Show, they don’t show if the ball hits the water, and I know one day I’m going to hit the water. I don’t know yet, but we’ll see.”