Pirates' Konnor Griffin Avoids Injury After Pitch to Head
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates star prospect Konnor Griffin had a scary moment in his most recent game with Double-A Altoona.
Griffin took a pitch to the head in the bottom of the seventh inning vs. the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Double-A affiliate of hte San Francisco Giants, at home on Sept. 2.
Richmond right-handed pitcher Will Bednar, the brother of former Pirates pitcher David Bednar, threw a 97 mph right off the top of the helmet of Griffin, who hit the ground.
Griffin stayed in the game and Jarrod Prugar of the Altoona Mirror reported that Griffin told him he was good after the contest.
Caught up with Konnor after the game and all is good https://t.co/Oyp8DMxa2H
— Jarrod Prugar (@jprugar26) September 3, 2025
Griffin finished with one hit in three at-bats, coming on a single in the bottom of the third inning, which he later scored on for the first run in the 9-3 win over Richmond.
He has excelled with Altoona since his earned his promotion on Aug. 17 from High-A Greensboro, slashing .319/.404/.532 for an OPS of .936 in 12 games, with 15 hits in 47 at-bats, one double, three home runs, 16 RBIs, five walks to 12 strikeouts and five stolen bases.
Griffin hit two home runs vs. the Harrisburg Senators, the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, driving in seven RBIs in a 14-3 road win on Aug. 29. He then hit his third home run with Altoona in the 8-0 win on Aug. 31.
The 19 year-old excelled with Greensboro, slashing .325/.432/.510 for an OPS of .942 in 51 games, with 63 hits in 194 at-bats, 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 36 RBIs, 28 walks to 46 strikeouts and 33 stolen bases on 40 attempts.
Griffin started off with Bradenton in 2025, slashing .338/.396/.536 for an OPS of .932 in 50 games, with 49 runs, 70 hits in 207 at-bats, 111 total bases, 10 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 26 stolen bases on 30 attempts, 36 RBIs and 15 walks to 53 strikeouts.
Griffin ranked amongst the best hitters in the Florida State League before his promotion to Greensboro, leading with 207 at-bats, plus total bases, runs, hits and batting average, second in home runs, stolen bases and slugging percentage, tied for second in RBIs and OPS and seventh in on-base percentage.
The Pirates selected Griffin with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Jackson Preparatory School in Jackson, Miss. They signed him for $6,216,600, convincing him to forgo his commitment to LSU.
He has made great strides in just his first season out of high school, including representing the Pirates at the Futures Game on July 12 at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, featuring the best prospects in baseball.
Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America named Griffin as the top prospect in all of baseball in recent re-rankings, putting great expectations on the youngster.
Griffin has slashed .330/.413/.525 for an OPS of .938 in 113 games in 2025, with 148 hits, 22 doubles, four triples, 19 home runs, 88 RBIs, 48 walks to 111 strikeouts and 64 stolen bases on 75 attempts.
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.