Baseball Has a New No. 1 Prospect with Roman Anthony's Graduation

With Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony's graduation from the MLB Pipeline Top 100, Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin has ascended to the No. 1 prospect in baseball.

The 19-year-old, who is currently playing with High-A Greensboro, is a shortstop and an outfielder, and he's projected to make his major league debut in 2027.

Baseball has a new No. 1 prospect ...

Meet 19-year-old Konnor Griffin, the @Pirates' 2024 first-rounder who has made an unprecedented rise to the top spot: https://t.co/5kpelRenck pic.twitter.com/yUO2kkEuYc
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 24, 2025

He's hitting .324 for the season between Single-A and High-A, and he has 13 home runs in 79 games. He's also stolen 42 bases, evidencing the type of power-speed combo that scouts and executives salivate over.

The following comes from the above article:

Griffin has electric bat speed and well-above-average foot speed, giving him 30-30 upside. He also has plus-plus arm strength -- his fastball was clocked as high as 96 mph when he pitched at Jackson Prep (Flowood, Miss.) -- and moves very well at shortstop for a 6-foot-4, 225-pounder. Amateur scouts projected him as a plus defender at short and a Gold Glover in center field.

The Pirates could use the optimism around Griffin's promotion considering they sit in last place in the National League Central. However, with Paul Skenes already in the big leagues and Bubba Chandler coming, plus an eventual return of Jared Jones, you can see some light at the end of the tunnel for Pittsburgh. If Griffin is able to get to the majors when he's projected, there's a chance that the back-half of the 2020s could look good for the Buccos.

They'll play the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night at PNC Park.

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