Top pick Griffin, already 6-4 at age 18, aims to hit new heights

When Konnor Griffin was a high school sophomore, he wanted to challenge himself. 

He had already been playing varsity baseball at Jackson Prep High School in Flowood, Miss. for two years and was one of the oldest kids in his class. So, to push himself to another level, Griffin reclassified to become eligible for this year's draft. He had a determination to improve his abilities and prepare himself to play at the professional level.

That mindset paid off for the 2024 National Gatorade Player of the Year as the Pirates selected the shortstop/outfielder with the ninth overall pick Sunday night in the 2024 MLB Draft. 

"I was playing against guys that were a few years older than me and I think it was the best thing for me because the 2025 class was good, it's just I kind of separated myself a little bit. I needed to face some adversity," Griffin said. "Going into pro ball, it's going to be a tough journey and I needed to know how to experience that adversity." 

Griffin's determination was something that stood out to both Ben Cherington and Justin Horowitz as those character traits are things they look for when they are scouting potential first-round picks. It showed with Nick Gonzales in 2020, Henry Davis in 2021, Termarr Johnson in 2022 and Paul Skenes at this time last year. The Pirates want players who can be leaders on the field, in the clubhouse and in the community. 

Griffin is the next player in line.

"We just felt strongly, that when it got to our pick at nine, he was just clearly the first player on our board and we anticipated that there was a chance that he'd be there," Cherington said. "Obviously you are speculating when you are picking at nine, who might be there. We had some sense that there was a chance he would be and some sense that a couple of others would be. But as it got closer, it was clear that he was our preferred choice and we were really really excited to select him. But he is a really strong athlete who combines that with a really strong desire and work ethic to get better and we're betting on that. We're betting on that for him, for the Pirates and we're excited to partner with him and help him along the way."

Griffin was set to be a Louisiana State Tiger, but he put any thought about going to college to bed, saying he was foregoing his college career and was ready to begin his professional career.

"It's been a super exciting night, I was glad to hear my name called with the Pirates, what a great organization," Griffin said. "The Pirates are headed in the right direction with success and I'm glad to hop on board and hopefully I can get things rolling soon."

While Griffin showcased the character traits of a first-round pick, his athletic ability and talent put him toward the top of the draft board as the best prep player in the draft. He was rated the ninth-best draft prospect by both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America and MLB Draft Analyst Jim Callis said Griffin has "the highest ceiling in the draft." During his final high school season, Griffin slashed .559/.690/.966 but also stole 85 bases, scored 76 runs, tallied 39 RBIs and hit nine home runs. He was strong on the mound as well, recording a 0.72 ERA and striking out 107 batters in 67 2/3 innings of work. 

His athletic ability, his 6-4, 215-pound frame, and his five-tool potential created a lot of conversation and while the Pirates weren't sure if he was going to fall, Horowitz was glad that he did. When he was asked if one of Griffin's skill sets stood out over the others, he couldn't decide.

"It's amazing," Horowitz said with a big smile on his face. "He's got huge power, elite speed, he's a freakish athlete, he can play really good defense at shortstop, at center field. He can throw and he can hit, honestly. But those secondary tools are super unique currently and make him a super attractive prospect."  

One of the major question marks surrounding Griffin heading into the draft was his hit tool. Because of his size, there was concern that there was too much length to his swing and there were timing issues at the plate as well. Griffin had heard the concerns and said "I know how hard I've worked and I know how my swing has developed and I don't think there should be many questions about it. I've performed at the highest level with Team USA but people can have their opinions." 

The Pirates weren't concerned, saying they wouldn't have drafted him at No. 9 if they were. But some tweaks can be made to his swing that can help increase his potential.

"The thing that we really believe in is Konnor's contact ability," Horowitz said. "He doesn't swing and miss much at all. He had a great spring and we think that there is even more upside with some of the potential adjustments that we think he can make in a professional player development environment. Minor tweaks to his swing or certain things that might help him get to a little more consistent impact. But overall we do not have serious hit-tool concerns." 

With the ability to play both shortstop and the outfield, Cherington said that Griffin will start as a shortstop in the minor league system and go from there. But Griffin just wants to play wherever he can to help the team win.

"I feel comfortable playing either one," Griffin said. "I've played shortstop my entire high school career and I played outfield throughout the whole summer so it's honestly about what the Pirates want to do with me. I know four of their top eight prospects are shortstops, which means there are a lot of great infielders in this organization, so my fit may be better in the outfield. It's whatever is going to help the Pirates win, that's most important."