Former Virginia Tech RHP Griffin Stieg Gets Drafted By The Pittsburgh Pirates

Virginia Tech right-handed pitcher Griffin Stieg is headed to professional baseball after being selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 13th round of the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday with pick No. 378.

𝙃𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙨 🏴‍☠️@GriffinStieg has been selected during the 𝟏𝟑𝐭𝐡 round by the #Pirates at 𝐍𝐨. 𝟑𝟕𝟖 overall#ProHokies 🦃⚾️ pic.twitter.com/JZYxPpFHHR
— Virginia Tech Baseball (@HokiesBaseball) July 12, 2026

Stieg becomes the latest Hokie to hear his name called after completing his collegiate career in Blacksburg, capping off a journey that included Tommy John surgery, a return from injury and a decision to bet on himself by returning for another season after previously being drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 18th round of the 2025 MLB Draft.

The selection marks the end of Stieg's Virginia Tech career after spending four seasons with the Hokies but only seeing major playing time in two. While injuries limited portions of his collegiate career, the right-hander established himself as one of the most talented arms on the roster when healthy, earning a spot in the weekend rotation during the 2026 season as Virginia Tech reached the NCAA Tournament for the second time under head coach John Szefc.

After electing not to sign with Seattle last summer, Stieg entered the 2026 season with an opportunity to improve his draft stock while proving he could once again handle the workload of a starting pitcher following Tommy John surgery. That decision allowed scouts another full season to evaluate one of the ACC's most intriguing power arms.

Stieg opened the season looking every bit like the pitcher professional organizations had been waiting to see. His fastball velocity returned early in the seeason before slightly hampering off towards the end of the season. His breaking ball remained one of the better weak-contact pitches on the Virginia Tech staff and he quickly cemented himself alongside Brett Renfrow at the front of the Hokies' rotation.

Although the second half of the season proved more inconsistent statistically, Stieg's overall body of work and underlying metrics continued to intrigue professional scouts. His combination of size, velocity and previous success against ACC competition made him one of Virginia Tech's top draft-eligible prospects entering the weekend.

For his Virginia Tech career, Stieg made 45 appearances, posting a 6.32 ERA while helping anchor one of the Hokies' most successful teams in recent years. His ability to induce weak contact and pitch against some of the nation's best lineups remained one of the biggest reasons professional evaluators believed he possessed professional upside despite battling injuries throughout his career.

He also showed significant drive during the later stages of his career after undergoing Tommy John Surgery.

Rather than beginning his professional career after being drafted in 2025, Stieg returned to Blacksburg knowing another healthy season could significantly improve both his draft position and long-term outlook. The decision reflected confidence in both his health and his ability to compete at the highest level of college baseball.

Virginia Tech ultimately benefited from that decision, as Stieg played an important role in the Hokies' run to the Los Angeles Regional while giving the coaching staff another experienced arm atop the rotation.

Stieg is the third Virginia Tech player (and pitcher) to be drafted, joining Brett Renfrow (Minnesota Twins, No. 74) and Luke Craytor (Chicago White Sox, No. 255).

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