Assessment of the Pirates Drafting Konnor Griffin
The 2024 MLB Draft marked Ben Cherington’s fifth as Pittsburgh Pirates general manager. With the ninth overall pick, the Bucs chose shortstop Konnor Griffin out of Jackson Prep, which is located in Flowood, Mississippi.
For the Pirates, they will have a maximum slot of $6,216,600, in order to get Griffin signed. He currently has a commitment to play at LSU. It’s the first time Pittsburgh has selected a high school shortstop in Round 1 since Cole Tucker in 2014.
At 6’4, 215 pounds, Griffin has a very athletic frame. He possesses raw power at the plate, and should tap into more power once he’s able to drive the ball more consistently. His swing can long at times, so it’ll be interesting to see how much of an adjustment he’ll make in pro ball. As you might imagine with Griffin’s athleticism, he has very good speed on the base paths,
Perhaps the best tool for Griffin is his throwing arm at shortstop. After all, he threw in the mid-90’s as a pitcher. The combination of a strong arm, along with terrific, range, gives Griffin the potential of becoming a plus defender at short.
Not only do most scouts consider Griffin the best prep talent in the ‘24 draft, but some believe that he has the ability to be a 30/30 player in the future.
MLB Pipeline and Baseball America both had Griffin ranked ninth among draft prospects, while FanGraphs listed him 12th in their ranking.
Assessment: Although a good argument can be presented that a college bat would obviously fast track a player to the bigs, the flip side of that debate is a high schooler, with tremendous upside, being able to develop into a bonafide, All-Star.
Overall, Griffin certainly has a 5-tool skill set, so the ceiling is set very high. Of course, time will tell how the Pirates ultimately did with this pick, but an 18-year-old shortstop, who oozes all-around, talent, was too intriguing not to take in that spot.