Pirates Top Prospect Draws Rave Reviews After Spring Training Debut

Konnor Griffin isn’t your typical teenager.

After all, the 18-year-old isn’t sitting through high school classes or thinking about prom. Instead, he’s trying to make a name for himself at Pittsburgh Pirates spring training.

Griffin, who the Pirates drafted ninth overall in the 2024 MLB draft, is doing that after he impressed in his spring training debut Sunday against the Minnesota Twins. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound shortstop and outfielder showed off his five-tool skill set by collecting an RBI single in his only at-bat and displayed his terrific speed with some heads-up baserunning.

Griffin’s terrific ability caught the eyes of those around him as he hasn’t looked his age so far in camp.

“That’s an athletic human being right there. It’s really cool to see a guy get his first major-league spring training hit,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton told reporters, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Kevin Gorman. “I look up on the board and see 2006 (the year Griffin was born), and I’m like, ‘Geez. Wow, makes me feel old.'”

Griffin, who is expected to start this season at Low-A Bradenton, is already considered Pittsburgh’s second-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, only behind starting pitcher Bubba Chandler. There’s a lot to like about Griffin and long-time veteran Andrew McCutchen can see why.

“Obviously, he has what you’re looking for from a physical standpoint, but what separates the good from the really good are having to have that natural ability but also to have that work ethic behind it, to have the posture, the physical and mental makeup,” McCutchen told reporters, per Gorman. “He’s well-polished for being an 18-year-old. As long as he can continue to keep working, let the people inside that need to be let inside his circle and not letting too many in there, from the little bit I’ve seen, he’s impressive.”