PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was a day that started with church and a training session with his father and ended with the Pirates calling him while he gathered at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. 18-year-old Konnor Griffin said he's thrilled to be with the Pirates.
"I kind of had a feeling it was going to be the Pirates," Griffin said to Pittsburgh reporters. "I actually did a Zoom meeting two days ago with the Pirates. I have a great relationship with them when they came to watch the games."
He said after the fifth pick of the Draft, the Pirates selected ninth, he heard Bucs management was calling his agent pretty heavily. Griffin said it was quite a feeling and he's excited to go back and watch the moment on video. He called the Pirates 'a great organization'.
"We're absolutely excited to draft Konnor," said Pirates GM Ben Cherington. "He's an incredible athlete, honestly. A potential five-tool superstar at the highest level, with some of the biggest upside in the whole draft. As talented of a kid that Konnor is on the baseball field, he's an even more incredible human being. He's someone we believe in as a leader and someone who's going to impact the community as well. We're really grateful to have the opportunity to draft Konnor."
"That room erupted. We're all really excited to have him."
There have been questions about the length in Griffin's swing and experts wondering if that would be fixable at the MLB level. The 6'4", 215 pounder said he's heard that talk, but doesn't think people should worry. He said he's performed with Team USA and that should show that he can handle the highest levels. In high school he batted .559, 13 doubles, nine home runs, 39 RBI and a .690 on-base percentage along with being named the Baseball America 2024 High School Player of the Year.
"Just for the Pirates to take a chance on me, it just showed you they were a great organization," Griffin said. "They trust their guys. They trust their process. They could have very easily taken a college guy and had them there in a year or two. It may take two years, three years for me to get through the program, but that's what they're about. They're about having a farm system and watching players grow over the years. It's going to be fun to see what happens. I'm ready to take on the journey and compete and work super hard to get to the big leagues as fast as I can."
Where he lands on the field is to be determined. He will likely start at shortstop and they will see how he does before deciding where he will play. He's played short his whole high school career, but Griffin understands there are a number of shortstop prospects in the Pirates organization. He knows he might be a better fit someday in the outfield and he will play 'whatever is gonna help the Pirates win. That's most important'.
What stands out about Griffin is that he doesn't stand still. As a high school senior in Mississippi this year, he stole 85 bases.
"I'm a tall guy, so I got long strides, so that definitely helps," Griffin said. "It's kind of a God-given talent. I've always had speed and as I got taller, my 60-time kept getting lower."
Griffin also said he trained hard to have an explosive first step and became comfortable and confident on the bases. It just feels super natural and loves being aggressive.
When asked about a MLB player he likes, he said he loves watching Braves superstar Ronald Acuna, Junior play and he sees some of Acuna's game in his. They are not exactly the same, Griffin said he's taller than Acuna, Jr. He also compares how he prepares and his mentality to that of Pirates rookie Paul Skenes. Griffin also was a successful pitcher in high school, but will play in the field in professional baseball.
What also stands out about Griffin is how he views the Pirates. His lens is someone who has only watched Bucco baseball when Paul Skenes pitches.
"I've never actually been to PNC Park but I've watched a lot of Paul Skenes outings at the stadium, so I know how electric the crowd is," Griffin said. "That's exciting to see. People show up to watch those games and looks like they got a great fanbase. Super excited to actually get to Pittsburgh and see what it's all about.
It won't be as quick an ascension as Skenes, but Griffin wants to be his teammate and is pumped about the Pirates future. How refreshing.
