Pirates' Konnor Griffin Hits Leadoff Home Run
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Konnor Griffin has excelled his in first season as a professional, including showing his power from the plate.
Griffin, playing with the Single-A Bradenton Marauders, faced off against the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the Single-A Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, at LECOM Park on May 9.
Lakeland left-handed starting pitcher Gabriel Reyes threw his first pitch of the game and Griffin blasted it all the way out over the center field wall for a leadoff home run, giving Bradenton a 1-0 lead.
FIRST PITCH OF THE NIGHT!
— Bradenton Marauders (@The_Marauders) May 9, 2025
Konnor Griffin sends this ball deep into the left field bleachers to put us on the board.@YoungBucsPIT @MLBPipeline @MiLB#ItAllBeginsInBradenton ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/J7JMUqFz2L
Griffin finished with four hits for Bradenton, including two doubles and then an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning, as they would win 8-0.
This marks the first four hit game of his professional career, previously hitting safely three times twice this season.
Griffin is also now up to six home runs on the season, with his last home run coming vs. Tampa Tarpons, the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees on April 30 at home.
He also hit two home runs in back-to-back games vs. Lakeland on April 25 and April 26, plus two home runs in three games on April 11 against the Palm Beach Cardinals, the Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, and April 15 vs. the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.
Griffin has slashed .283/.344/.513 for an OPS of .857 in 27 games, with 32 hits in 113 at-bats, six doubles, a triple, six home runs, 17 RBIs, six walks to 35 strikeouts and 12 stolen bases in 2025.
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. 38 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.