Termarr Johnson

Johnson hasn't been bad in pro ball -- he has been between 39 and 42 percent better than the average hitter in the full-season leagues he has played in -- but his performance has not quite matched the pre-draft scouting report. Seen by some evaluators as one of the best pure hitters from the prep ranks since Joe Mauer ahead of the 2022 draft, Johnson has had success despite a .240 average in 128 pro games. What he has lacked in high batting averages, Johnson has made up for with high on-base percentages and walk rates. He has a career .413 OBP and walked at a 21.8 percent clip at Single-A and a 22 percent clip at High-A during his age-18/19 season. Johnson has logged solid exit velocities relative to most teenage middle infielders, but he has been inconsistent on contact, sporting a mediocre 22.1 Soft% and infield-flyball rates north of 21 percent at both stops last year. Given his overall production and the investment from the Pirates (No. 4 overall pick in 2022), Johnson is on track to be the team's everyday second baseman in a couple years, but he figures to be better in OBP leagues than batting average leagues and may only be a plus contributor in OBP and runs while being adequate in the rest of the offensive fantasy categories.

With the fourth-overall pick in the 2022 draft, the Pirates landed one of the most highly-touted prep hitters in years. Some scouts go all the way back to Joe Mauer or Ken Griffey Jr. when trying to find a comparable high-school hitter to Johnson. While prep position players with a 70-grade hit tool are rare, it's even rarer to see likely second basemen who stand 5-foot-8 getting selected in the top five of the draft. He played shortstop in high school in Atlanta but primarily played second base in his pro debut, and that's where he figures to stick. Johnson got off to a slow start in his 23-game pro debut across complex ball and Single-A, but he closed strong, slashing .357/.500/.607 with one home run, four doubles, four steals and an 11:10 K:BB over his last 10 games. The hope is that he remains hit-over-power and naturally gets to 20-plus homer pop rather than selling out for power at the expense of his greatest tool. He is already physically maxed out and doesn't grade well as a runner, but Johnson attempted seven steals in his first 23 games, so perhaps he could chip in double-digit steals in the majors if he develops into an on-base machine. The main thing is the hit tool, however. If he hits as expected, he will be a sought-after fantasy asset for a decade-plus. Johnson should spend most of his age-18/19 season at High-A.