Minor League Baseball

Pittsburgh Pirates' Electric Top Prospect Surpasses Chandler Simpson in Amazing Speed Stat

Simpson, the Tampa Bay Rays prospect who stole 104 bases last season, gets all the attention, but perhaps we should be paying attention to Konnor Griffin.
Brady Farkas|
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin who was the ninth overall pick in first round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft in the batting cage before a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park on Aug 2.
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin who was the ninth overall pick in first round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft in the batting cage before a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park on Aug 2. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Pirates

When it comes to speed in the minor leagues, all the conversation is about Tampa Bay Rays top prospect Chandler Simpson. And that is certainly justified, considering that Simpson stole 104 bases last season.

However, perhaps we should be paying attention to Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin, who beat Simpson in a speed category on Friday night.

Per MLB Pipeline:

Fastest home-to-third times on triples in MLB/MiLB in 2025:

11.22: Corbin Carroll
11.42: Jarren Duran
11.44: Konnor Griffin
11.45: Chandler Simpson

The @Pirates' 2024 first-rounder notched 4 RBIs on an all-around night at Single-A for @The_Marauders.

Still just 18 years old, Griffin was selected No. 9 overall last year. He was the National High School Player of the Year. This is his first taste of professional baseball, and he's hitting .231 through just the first seven games of the season. He does have a home run already. He's the No. 2 prospect in the organization, behind pitcher Bubba Chandler.

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

With at least plus speed, Griffin has 30-30 potential and the ability to play multiple positions very well. His arm that fired mid-90s fastballs off the mound and quickness to cover a lot of ground are plusses on the dirt and in the outfield, so he’ll continue to see time at shortstop and center field as he starts his pro career. More evaluators see center as a better long-term home, but he’s the kind of athlete teams let tell them where they fit best.

Griffin will be back in action on Saturday as Bradenton plays against Palm Beach.

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DEEP TALENT POOL: Baseball America recently ranked the most talented minor league teams in the game and the Rays received a high mark for the roster at Triple-A Durham. CLICK HERE:

ON THE MEND: Tobias Myers, who is a big part of the Milwaukee Brewers' rotation, is back on a minor league assignment as he comes back from an oblique issue. CLICK HERE:

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

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