Officially a Pirate, Johnson takes 1st PNC Park hacks

PITTSBURGH -- The aura of the field transformed when the teenager walked on its green grass, its maroon dirt. Cameras immediately captured his every move. He had hands to shake, introductions to make. This 18-year-old, donning black and gold, would make his way to home plate, set to complete the first assignment of his first job. He took some hacks. He found his groove. In the midst of his second set, he launched a ball that sailed through the Pittsburgh sky. Some 400 feet away, it struck the ceiling of a bar.

In a couple seasons, Termarr Johnson might be back at PNC Park, standing in that same cage, wearing these same colors, aiming for that same bar.

Johnson, the fourth-overall selection in the 2022 MLB Draft, officially signed with the Pirates on Friday for $7,219,000, a source told MLB.com. The signing bonus is over the slot value of $7,005,800, and stands as the sixth-highest bonus for a high schooler in Draft history. Once the t’s were crossed and the i’s were dotted prior to the Pirates 4-2 loss to the Phillies in 10 innings, Johnson finally set foot in a place he soon hopes to call home.

“It’s amazing, to say the least,” Johnson said of the batting practice. “I did a lot of that on MLB The Show. Just doing it in real life, with my own swing, it’s kind of cool. It’s really cool.”

Johnson is the 18th member of Pittsburgh’s draft class to sign with the team. He very well may be the last.

The club has yet to agree to terms with RHP K.C. Hunt (12th round), LHP Julian Bosnic (14th round) and RHP Yoel Tejada (19th round). General manager Ben Cherington said on Friday that the team will continue to have conversations with those three, but added that “as of now, we expect that this is probably it.”

With the signing complete, the pomp and circumstance has run its course. For Johnson, the work now truly begins. He, like his contemporaries, will head to the Minors and begin his ascension to The Show. This journey will take several years. Johnson affirmed that he wants to climb the ladder as quickly as possible.

“If it was up to me, I'd be up here tomorrow. I'd be up here today. I'd be up here tonight,” Johnson said. “I know that the Pirates have a plan for me. They'll know when I'm ready, and I'll know when I'm ready. We're just going to make it happen."

Johnson didn’t just flash the swing, the power that made him a top draft pick. He also exuded the confidence that won over fans from the jump.

On Draft day, Johnson declared that the Pirates got, in him, the best player in The Draft. He also, more or less, guaranteed a championship. A week-and-a-half later in his first appearance at PNC Park, Johnson envisioned that, one day, he’ll hit a ball into the river.

“I feel like it’s really important to be confident in this game,” Johnson said. “There are a lot of ups and downs. If you stay confident in yourself and your game, it’s going to take you places. … I’m a strong believer in saying what I believe and trying to make it happen to the best of my abilities. I plan to keep doing that with the rest of my career.”

“When I had my conversation with him after we drafted him, I told him, ‘I love your confidence, man,’” said manager Derek Shelton. “We drafted Henry [Davis] last year. He's confident. … I love guys who believe in their abilities.”

Regarding that ability, Johnson has often been described as the best pure hitter of his class. That praise has been accompanied by hefty comparisons. Johnson shared that he has heard himself compared to some of the game’s best hitters of all time. ​​José Ramírez. Robinson Canó. Barry Bonds. Shelton was reminded of Terry Pendleton’s swing. In his own estimation, Johnson sees himself as the confluence of various influences.

“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,” Johnson said. “[I] kind of 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.”

Whether Johnson will or won’t have to make adjustments will become known in the coming months and years. In due time, he will voyage down to the Minors, where the metamorphosis from amateur to professional will begin. Johnson, on this Friday, got a sample of the Majors. He knows there’s more in store.