Pirates' Konnor Griffin Continues Power Display
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Konnor Griffin showed his power from the plate once again.
Griffin, with the Single-A Bradenton Marauders, faced off against the Tampa Tarpons, the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees on April 30 at home.
He took on Tarpons right-handed pitcher Danny Flatt and with two outs in the bottom of the second inning, plus a 2-2 count, Griffin swung on a breaking ball and hit it over the right field wall for an opposite field home run, giving his team a 3-2 lead.
Solo Shot for @KonnorGriffin22 and the Marauders snag a one-run lead! 💣#ItallbeginsinBradenton⚾️🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/CGwHxB7K3H
— Bradenton Marauders (@The_Marauders) April 30, 2025
Griffin is now up to six home runs with Bradenton this season, his first of professional baseball. He also made it three home runs in five games, as he hit two in back-to-back games vs. the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the Single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, on April 25 and April 26.
He hit his first professional home run back on April 11, against the Palm Beach Cardinals, the Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. He hit his second home run vs. the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins on April 15.
Griffin has slashed .253/.320/.494 for an OPS of .814 in 21 games so far, with 22 hits, four doubles, one triple, five home runs, 15 RBIs, six walks to 30 strikeouts and 11 stolen bases for Bradenton.
He is one of the top prospects in baseball, with the Pirates taking him No. 9 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. MLB Pipeline ranks Griffin as the No. 40 prospect and No. 2 for the Pirates.
Griffin played for Jackson Preparatory School in Jackson, Miss. and was Perfect Game's No. 1 ranked player in the Class of 2024.
He stands at 6'4" and 210 pounds and has the tools to play a number of positions, as he pitched and played at shortstop throughout his high school career.
He had a great senior season, leading Jackson Prep to a 31-4 record, their sixth consecutive and Mississippi record MAIS Class 6A state championship, plus the No. 19 ranking from Perfect Game.
Griffin, who bats right-handed, had a .559 batting average, with 66 hits in 118 at-bats, along with 39 RBIs, 13 doubles, nine home runs and four triples as a senior. He also only struck out 10 times, while earning 47 walks and got hit by pitch five times.
He also showed his prowess in the infield, with a .932 fielding percentage, turning nine double plays and only committing six errors. He also plays in the outfield too, giving the Pirates a number of positions they can put him at to succeed.
He did commit to LSU, but the Pirates signed him to a $6,532,025 deal, which was above slot for No. 9 overall at $6,216,600, convincing him to forgo that commitment. He also skipped his sophomore season to become a junior, which allowed him to join the Class of 2024.
Griffin was a stellar athlete in high school, leading Jackson Prep in basketball with 12.3 points, 7.4 rebounds per game, blocking 26 shots, and shooting 51.9% from the field. His efforts led Jackson Prep to its second consecutive MAIS Overall Tournament championship this season.
He also gained experience for the Pirates during Spring Training, playing in eight games in the Grapefruit League and learning from the veteran players.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.