Pirates select 'incredible athlete' Griffin with No. 9 pick
Alex Stumpf
@AlexJStumpfKonnor Griffin¡¯s Sunday started with going to church with his family and then to train with his dad. One last session before he could call himself a professional.
Around the time the White Sox made their selection at No. 5 in the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday night, the Pirates started calling Griffin¡¯s agent ¡°pretty heavily,¡± as the 18-year-old Gatorade National Player of the Year would put it. Their interest was apparent and reciprocated.
Within the hour, the Pirates had their man. Throughout the process, general manager Ben Cherington and amateur scouting director Justin Horowitz insisted they were going to take the top player available. They did just that, taking the top ranked prep player in this Draft with the ninth overall pick.
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¡°What a great feeling,¡± Griffin said over Zoom. ¡°I have it all on video. It's going to be really cool to go back and watch. It's a super cool experience. What a great organization to be with.¡±
Griffin, a shortstop from Jackson Prep (Mississippi), was ranked as the No. 9 overall Draft prospect by MLB Pipeline, the highest among all prep players. MLB Pipeline¡¯s Jim Callis said ¡°he¡¯s got the highest ceiling in the Draft¡± during MLB Network¡¯s broadcast.
The Pirates also selected prep right-hander Levi Sterling out of Notre Dame High School (California) with the No. 37 overall pick in Competitive Balance Round A, then took Independence High School (Texas) shortstop Wyatt Sanford at No. 47 overall in the second round.
At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Griffin is already built like a Major League slugger, even though he¡¯s just 18 years old. MLB Pipeline views the shortstop/outfielder as a potential 30-homer/30-steal threat in the Majors. In 43 games played in 2024, he hit .559 with 66 hits, nine home runs, 39 RBIs and 87 stolen bases, the last stat being a product of his speed and baserunning instincts.
¡°He¡¯s an incredible athlete, honestly,¡± Horowitz said. ¡°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.¡±
He certainly has the tools, with MLB Pipeline giving him a 70 grade for his arm, 65 for his running ability and 60 for his power. The one narrative that surrounded him, as Horowitz would acknowledge, was his hit tool and if he could make consistent contact. There will need to be some minor tweaks and adjustments made, but that comes with drafting any prep player.
¡°We do not have serious hit tool concerns on Konnor Griffin,¡± Horowitz said. ¡°If that was the case, we would not have selected him. We¡¯re confident Konnor is going to be a very talented hitter and is going to tap into some power and round out his game in an effective way.¡±
Griffin certainly sounds up for the challenge. The only reason he was drafted Sunday was because he wanted to test himself. Originally, he was supposed to be part of the 2025 Draft, but he instead finished high school in three years to reclassify for this Draft.
¡°I needed to face some adversity,¡± Griffin said. ¡°Going into pro ball is going to be a tough journey, and I needed to be experienced in how to handle that adversity and grow as a player. That was really the main reason, and I wouldn't be sitting here today if I didn't do it, so I think it was a great decision. Super glad I did it."
Defensively, Griffin is seen as having the potential to stick at shortstop despite his size, something that we have seen become more and more common over the years, with Elly De La Cruz of the Reds and Oneil Cruz as prominent contemporary examples. Griffin could also profile in the outfield, where his potentially elite speed and arm could play more.
He¡¯s on board for either position, but the Pirates believe he can stick at shortstop and will start him at that position.
¡°[He¡¯s an] exceptional athlete, capable of doing a lot of things on the field,¡± Cherington said. ¡°We¡¯ll see where it plays out over time. But I would expect that he¡¯d be on the dirt to start.¡±
Griffin is committed to Louisiana State and of course has been keeping close tabs on Pirates phenom and Tigers alum Paul Skenes all year. He obviously cannot wait to join him at PNC Park.
That is assuming a deal gets done, and it doesn¡¯t sound like there should be much of an obstacle to that happening.
¡°I¡¯m ready to start my pro career,¡± Griffin said.
The Draft continues Monday with Rounds 3-10 and then concludes with Rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.