Termarr Johnson has experienced both the highs and lows associated with coming up through the minor-league ranks as a teenager with high expectations tied to him. 

The 21-year-old former top-five pick made strides in a full 119-game sample with Class AA Altoona last year, hitting .272 with a solid .363 on-base percentage to go with his nine home runs, 35 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. Now, he's seeing that success translate to a spring slate in which he's hit .389 with five RBIs over nine games. 

"If I'm honest with you, my preparation is making the difference," said Johnson, who produced a sharply-hit RBI single in the second inning of the Pirates' 5-3 win over the Tigers here today at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. 

"I'm trying to be as consistent as I can on the preparation side of things and trust that when I go into a game. It's all about understanding what I need to do to get ready for each game and understanding what I need to do on the hitting side, on the field and even on the base-running side. I'm just trying to be a real student of the game and make a plan tailored to me on what I need to do. My body's different and how I think about things are different, so it's just about using all the information that I've gained throughout my years, creating a plan and trusting it." 

Johnson continues to show his growth both on and off the field. It's leading to better things for a young player who is still considered one of the organization's top position player prospects. And the big-league manager has certainly noticed. 

"He continues to get better," Don Kelly said. "We talked about it the other day with maturity, he continues to grow as a person and player, refining his skills. I'm really excited what he's been able to do this spring."