Pirates' Konnor Griffin Keeps Hitting Home Runs
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Konnor Griffin has excelled in his past two matchups, showing how powerful he really is when he steps to the plate.
Griffin, playing for the Bradenton Marauders, faced off against the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the Single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, with his team down 9-4 in the bottom of the ninth on the road April 25.
He was on the final strike of the game, on a 1-2 count vs. Lakeland right-handed pitcher Shay Timmer. Timmer would leave a ball in the middle of the plate and Griffin smashed it 108.1 mph off the bat for a two-run home run in the 9-6 defeat.
KONNOR GRIFFIN WITH AN ABSOLUTE BLAST! 🤯 💥@YoungBucsPIT @MLBPipeline @MiLB @KonnorGriffin22 pic.twitter.com/aMC7d5WU9t
— Bradenton Marauders (@The_Marauders) April 26, 2025
Griffin then did the same in the most recent game on April 26, taking a fast ball off of Lakeland right-handed pitcher Josh Randall clear over the left field seats for a two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning, giving Bradenton a 4-2 lead.
Another day, another homer for Konnor Griffin!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 26, 2025
The @Pirates' No. 2 prospect goes deep for the second straight night for Single-A @The_Marauders. pic.twitter.com/7opeWG3jSS
He finished with three hits and three RBIs for Bradenton in the 9-3 win, giving them a chance to take the series on April 27.
Griffin 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.
He has slashed .243/.325/.457 for an OPS of .782 in 17 games so far, with 17 hits, one double, one triple, four home runs, 14 RBIs, six walks to 24 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.