Atlanta Public Schools star Termarr Johnson drafted fourth overall in MLB draft
Mays High School infielder Termarr Johnson, 18, did not have to wait long to find out what Major League Baseball franchise was selecting him in the 2022 MLB Draft. With the fourth overall pick the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Johnson Sunday, July 17.
Surrounded by family and friends, Johnson took the stage in Los Angeles as the first Atlanta Public Schools player drafted this year. He wasn’t alone as six other Georgia high school players were drafted among the 600-plus picks.
Druw Jones, the son of former Atlanta Braves All-Star outfielder Andrew Jones, was drafted second overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jones, who played at Wesleyan High School, was the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year. Buford High School pitcher Dylan Lesko was drafted 15th overall by the San Diego Padres.
Woodward Academy outfielder Chandler Pollard was selected 139th by the Texas Rangers followed by Javier Santos, a pitcher from Georgia premier Academy, that was selected 211th by the Cleveland Guardians.
Omari Daniel, a shortstop from The Walker School, a private school in Marietta, was the 414th pick by the Minnesota Twins and Dutchtown High School outfielder was selected by the hometown Atlanta Braves with the 575th pick.
A natural shortstop that also pitched while playing in high school, according to Perfect Game, one of the country’s best prep baseball talent evaluators, Johnson was the number one overall shortstop in the state and third overall shortstop in the nation.
His father, Terry Johnson, credits a lifetime of hard work for his son being drafted among the top five picks. “Termarr’s selection in this year’s draft has an impact that is much greater than him,” Terry Johnson told The Atlanta Voice. “He is inspiring other young Black boys to believe in themselves and play the game of baseball.”
Major League Baseball has less Black players today than during any time the past 30 years, according to a report released in May by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida.
Currently, Black players represented just over 7 percent of all MLB players. Johnson has got work to do before he becomes a major leaguer but he’s on the right path, according to his father. “I am excited for Termarr because he made his dream come true,” said the elder Johnson. “Growing up I would tell Termarr and his older brothers that dreams do come true when you have a vision, develop a plan, and then execute that plan with hard work and dedication.”