Konnor Griffin Shares Connection with New Pirates Player
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PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin is the best propsect in baseball and will soon make his mark with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Griffin could even join the Pirates for Opening Day and serve as the team's starting shortstop, even after not even featuring at Triple-A yet.
The Pirates have found ways of adding strong bats to their franchise this offseason, including the likes of top 100 prospect in outfielder Jhostynxon García from the Boston Red Sox and second baseman Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Pittsburgh's trade for Lowe also brought them outfielder Jake Mangum, whom Griffin knows previously.
Griffin, Mangum Share Relationship Prior to Pirates
Both Griffin and Mangum attended Jackson Preparatory School in Jackson, Miss., before moving on in their baseball careers.
The Pirates took Griffin out of Jackson Prep with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, while Jake Mangum was a Class of 2015 graduate and played for Mississippi State, before the New York Mets took him in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
Griffin and Mangum both come from nearby cities in Mississippi, with Griffin coming from Jackson and Mangum hailing from neighboring Flowood.
The two players also host camps for prep baseball players in the offseason, with one coming at the end of December, as the two are offseason workout partners.
Griffin's father, Kevin Griffin, praised Mangum on Twitter after the trade and that Pirates fans will really enjoy watching Mangum play.
"It’s a Jackson Prep party in the Pirates organization!" Mangum wrote. "Pirates fans will love Jake Mangum! He will bring a ton of energy and as the all-time SEC hits leader, he knows how to hit and is an elite outfield defender!"
It’s a Jackson Prep party in the Pirates organization! Pirates fans will love Jake Mangum! He will bring a ton of energy and as the all-time SEC hits leader, he knows how to hit and is an elite outfield defender! https://t.co/ZAracBAolv
— Kevin Griffin (@BUCoachGriffin) December 19, 2025
What the Pirates Get in Jake Mangum
The Pirates need a left fielder heading into 2026 and Mangum provides that, starting 46 of the 63 games he played in left field with the Rays last season.
Mangum also had a strong season from the plate, showing his great play as a contact hitter and using his speed to get more hits.
Batting Average | On-Base Percentage | Slugging Percentage | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|
.296 | .330 | .368 | .698 |
Hits | Doubles | RBI | Triples/HR | Walks/Ks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
120 | 18 | 40 | 1/3 | 19/64 |
Mangum had 27 stolen bases on 33 attempts and he ranked in the 91st percentile in sprint speed in 2025.
He had a strong season defensively as well, with six outs above average and five runs saved, plus three defensive runs saved.
The Pirates need more home runs and power, which they got in Lowe, but also needed a hitter like Mangum, who gets on base and gives them a chance to score runs.
Pittsburgh finished last in runs scored (583) and had the third worst batting average in 2025 (.231), making someone like Mangum valuable.
Mangum isn't inherently going to take over as the starting left fielder for the Pirates in 2025, but having him is a better option than some of the other outfielders they have on the 40-man roster.
He also has experience in the other two outfield spots, with 30 starts in 41 games played in center field and 26 starts in 32 games played in right field.
Mangum only just played his first season at 29 years old and the Pirates will benefit from having him on the roster for next season.
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.