Termarr Johnson Headlines Prospects Representing Pirates in AFL

The 2024 minor league season is over but there will still be several Pittsburgh Pirates prospects playing baseball this fall.

The 2024 Arizona Fall League rosters were announced on Wednesday and the Pirates will send nine of their prospects to compete for the Scottsdale Scorpions. In addition to the Pirates, the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers will have prospects playing for Scottsdale.

Opening Day is Monday, Oct. 7, but the Scorpions first game won’t be until the next day. The league runs through through championship on Saturday, Nov. 16.

Here are the nine prospects for the Pirates competing in this year’s AFL, headlined by top prospect Termarr Johnson:

RHP Mike Burrows

• 2024 stats: 1-3, 5.26 ERA, 51.1 innings, 55 hits, 30 earned runs, 24 walks, 59 strikeouts

Burrows’ entry into the AFL is a logical one to help make up for missed time after undergoing Tommy John surgery early last season. The right-hander made his way back to the mound this year and pitched across three different levels.

RHP Khristian Curtis

• 2024 stats: 2-3, 4.06 ERA, 75.1 innings, 62 hits, 34 earned runs, 39 walks, 81 strikeouts

The Pirates’ 12th-round pick in last year’s draft had a solid first professional season pitching for the Bradenton Marauders.

RHP Derek Diamond

• 2024 stats: 5-6, 4.80 ERA, 95.2 innings, 107 hits, 51 earned runs, 19 walks, 83 strikeouts

Diamond spent the year pitching for Greensboro after missing the beginning of the year with an injury. He was drafted by the Pirates in the sixth round of the 2022 draft.

RHP Brandon Bidois

• 2024 stats: 0-5, 4.11 ERA, 30.2 innings, 20 hits, 14 earned runs, 17 walks, 44 strikeouts

A potential sleeper prospect, Bidios spent the majority of the season with Greensboro and made a lone scoreless appearance with Indianapolis.

RHP Eddy Yean

• 2024 stats: 7-5, 3.36 ERA, 75 innings, 77 hits, 28 earned runs, 22 walks, 69 strikeouts

Yean, who is perhaps a forgotten piece of the deal that sent Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals a few years ago, rebounded after a couple down seasons for a solid year with Altoona. He was promoted to Indianapolis late in the season and the Pirates obviously want to see more of him.

2B Termarr Johnson

• 2024 stats: .237/.366/.386, 19 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 54 RBIs, 22 steals, 124 games

It was a somewhat of an up-and-down season for the Pirates’ 2022 first-rounder but he’ll get a chance to show more consistency in the fall league. Johnson is the Bucs’ highest-rated prospect competing this season.

OF Sammy Siani

• 2024 stats: .265/.338/.400, 18 doubles, six triples, nine home runs, 48 RBIs, 16 steals, 116 games

Siani’s status has fallen since he was selected by the Pirates at No. 37 in the 2019 draft but he’ll get a shot to reestablish himself some this fall.

INF Kervin Pichardo

• 2024 stats: .252/.306/.373, 14 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, 49 RBIs, eight steals, 118 games

Pichardo will join Johnson as one of two infield prospects representing the Pirates for the Scorpions.

C Geovanny Planchart

• 2024 stats: .223/.354/.320, six doubles, one triple, three home runs, 25 RBIs, 55 games

Planchart rounds out the list and will get some work behind the plate as the battery mate for a few familiar arms.