Four Pirates Prospects Make The Athletic's Top 100 List
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a few of the best prospects in baseball, which gives the franchise hope for the future.
The Pirates aren't a team that relies on top free agents for their success, and they need a strong farm system to keep them, or in recent years, make them competitive for the long-term.
Pittsburgh has had success in recent years with some strong draft selections and also good international signings that have given them one of the better prospect pools in all of baseball.
It comes as no surprise that the Pirates have four players on the new top 100 list from Keith Law of The Athletic ahead of the 2026 season.
No. 1 SS/CF Konnor Griffin
Griffin ranked first on the last top 100 from Law, and he again has the 19-year old as the best prospect in baseball.
Law praised Griffin for his physical features, standing 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, which make for his a great athleticism and presence at the plate. He also compared him to one of the best players of the 21st century, in terms of his potential and what he could do going forward.
"I think he’s the most exciting prospect we’ve had in the minors since Mike Trout, and I think he’s going to end up one of the best players in baseball once he gets established," Law wrote.
The Pirates drafted Griffin ninth overall in 2024 out of Jackson Preparatory School in Jackson, Miss. and he went from a potentially solid prospect to now the very best the sport has to offer.
Griffin quickly moved up in the Pirates minor league system. He started out with Single-A Bradenton after a strong showing in Spring Training, moved to High-A Greensboro on June 10, then finished off with Double-A Altoona on Aug. 18, playing 122 games in the process.
Batting Avg. | On-Base % | Slugging % | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|
.333 | .415 | .527 | .942 |
Hits | Doubles | Home Runs | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|
161 | 23 | 21 | 94 |
The 19-year old led all of minor league baseball with 117 runs scored, and he became the first teenage draftee to have a 20-40 season, finishing with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases. He was also the first minor league player to have a 20-60 season since 1982.
Griffin ranked amongst the best players in the minor leagues, including second in runs scored, fourth in batting average, fifth in hits, tied for seventh in RBI and tied for eighth in stolen bases.
Griffin also played in the Futures Game during All-Star week, which is an annual event honoring the best prospects in baseball. Altoona teammate Esmerlyn Valdez joined him there as well, as the duo represented the Pirates for the National League.
The accolades piled on for Griffin, with Baseball America naming him their Minor League Player of the Year Award and MLB Pipeline naming him their Hitting Prospect of the Year and Debut of the Year.
The Pirates also honored Griffin with the Honus Wagner Player of the Year, given to the best player in their minor leagues, and the Bill Mazeroski Defender of the Year, given to the best defensive player in the minor leagues.
Griffin ended his season by earning an MiLB Gold Glove Award, which bodes well for the Pirates, who reportedly see him as their starting shortstop for 2026 Opening Day.
No. 14 RHP Bubba Chandler
Chandler comes in five places ahead of where he was last season and also Law's top pitching prospect in baseball.
Law praised Chandler for his fastball, making it almost unhittable up in the zone, and also his strong changeup.
He also gave Chandler a projection of a mid-rotation starter with the potential of becoming a top-tier starter if he continues developing properly.
"A former quarterback and shortstop, Chandler is an otherworldly athlete and his arm action is one of the best in the minors, so I expect him to continue to improve his command as he gets more experience and to be able to make further adjustments over time," Law wrote.
"He’s not a finished product, but has enough present stuff and feel to help the Pirates in 2026, even as he continues to grow as a pitcher."
Chandler had a up-and-down tenure at Triple-A Indianapolis in 2025 and didn't make it to Pittsburgh until Aug. 22.
He immediately starred, throwing four scoreless innings of relief in a save in the 9-0 win for the Pirates over the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 22 in his debut.
Chandler became the first player in MLB history to throw a scoreless four-inning save in his debut, and the first Pirates pitcher to throw a four-inning save in his debut.
The bullpen role served Chandler well, as he threw four more scoreless innings in a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Aug. 27, earning his first MLB win and becoming the first Pirates pitcher that earned a save and a win in their first two MLB outings.
He struggled massively in his first MLB start, giving up nine earned runs over 2.2 innings in the 10-2 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on Sept. 7.
Chandler bounced back the rest of the campaign, with just six hits, no walks and two earned runs allowed over his final three starts and 16.2 innings with 19 strikeouts.
He also threw five perfect innings vs. the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Sept. 13, before giving up two hits and a run, earning a no-decision in the eventual 5-1 win for the Pirates.
Chandler finished his first stint with the Pirates with a 4-1 record over seven appearances and four stats, a 4.02 ERA over 31.1 innings pitched, 31 strikeouts to four walks, a .214 opposing batting average and a 0.93 WHIP.
He won't spend long on the prospect list next season, as he should graduate soon if he is part of the starting rotation for the Pirates in 2026.
No. 42 OF Edward Florentino
Florentino has been one of the biggest risers on the rankings of any prospect in baseball and wasn't even ranked on Law's top 100 last season to now finding himself at 42nd overall.
Law loves that Florentino has a low whiff rate, 16.3%, and that he connects with the ball often and with some power behind it to.
"The ceiling is enormous, a power-hitting corner outfielder or first baseman who hits for a high batting average as well," Law wrote.
The Pirates signed Florentino in the 2024 International Signing Period for just $395,000, and he looks like one of the best future outfielders in all of baseball.
Florentino showed in his first full season in the United States at just 18 years old that he has what is needed to excel at the major league level.
His 2025 season was a success, as he put up great numbers between the Florida Complex Level at Rookie Ball and Bradenton at just 18 years old and his first professional season in the United States.
Batting Average | On-Base % | Slugging % | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|
.290 | .400 | .548 | .948 |
Hits | Doubles | HR | RBI | BB/K | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
84 | 23 | 16 | 59 | 49/78 | 35 |
He slashed .347/.442/.642 for an OPS of 1.084 in 29 games in the FCL, with 33 hits in 95 at-bats, six doubles, two triples, six home runs, 23 RBI, 16 walks to 22 strikeouts and six stolen bases on seven attempts.
Florentino continued that great play with Bradenton, slashing .262/.380/.503 for an OPS of .883, with 51 hits in 195 at-bats, 17 doubles, 10 home runs, 36 RBIs, 29 stolen bases on 34 attempts and 33 walks to 56 strikeouts.
He earned Florida State League Player of the Month honors for July as he slashed .301/.433/.663 for an OPS of 1.096 in 23 games, with 25 hits in 83 at-bats, six doubles, eight home runs, 23 RBI, 17 walks to 24 strikeouts and 16 stolen bases on 17 attempts.
His eight home runs and 23 RBI ranked as the most in both the Florida State League and in Single-A. He was also the only player in the FSL and one of three in Single-A with both at least 15 walks and 10 extra bases hits.
Florentino should get a shot early on with High-A Greensboro and if he does well, end up with Double-A Altoona by the end of 2026.
No. 100 RHP Seth Hernandez
Unlike MLB Pipeline and Baseball American, who rank Hernadez quite high, Law isn't ready to make the Pirates sixth overall pick in 2025 the next star pitching prospect, keeing him at the very end of his list.
Law looked at a list of high school arms that never made it far or dealt with serious injury and sees a bad trend that could continue with Hernandez.
He did praise Hernandez for his pitch mix and the strength of those pitches, seeing him as a potential No. 1 starter.
"Every one of these guys was supposed to be an exception to the rule, a high school pitcher whose stuff or command or delivery or some combination of those things would get him to the majors sooner and help him succeed and stay healthy enough to contribute to the big-league club in a reasonable period of time," Law wrote.
"I hope Hernandez is that exception, truly, but I’m not going to bet on any individual high school pitcher doing so."
Hernandez stands 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, commanding an imposing presence on the mound. He also throws four pitches, a fastball, a curveball and a changeup, his three best pitches, while also throwing a slider.
His fastball reaches close to 100 mph, while he also has great break on his curveball and good control on his changeup.
He finished with a 9-0 record, a 0.62 ERA over 56 innings pitched and 73 strikeouts as a junior in 2024, while also batting .350, with eight home runs and a 1.080 OPS.
Hernandez dominated in his senior season in 2025, striking out 105 batters over 53.2 innings pitched, averaging almost two strikeouts per inning, while also posting a 0.39 ERA. He earned 2025 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year honors at the high school level for his performance.
While not officially pitching for the Pirates in 2025, he did pitch down at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., where he should start next season with the FCL Pirates.
He also pitched in the Dominican Republic for the Pirates academy in the country, located in the municipality of El Toro.
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.