Konnor

Griffin

Griffin had a 108-mph groundout and a 100-mph lineout to right, so even if the results weren’t there, it was a decent day for the 19-year-old. So far, the two homers he hit Tuesday are his only hits in 11 at-bats.

Right now, the Pirates are deciding whether or not to carry the 19-year-old phenom on their opening day roster, but signing him to a long-term extension would take service time out of the equation and all but assure he is their opening day shortstop. Last season, number one prospect Roman Anthony signed in eight-year, $130 million extension with the Red Sox months after debuting. However, Anthony is two years older than Griffin, so we should expect any contract that Griffin signs to be for more money.

This development carries real fantasy weight, as a long-term agreement would effectively remove the lingering service-time calculus that could keep Griffin off Pittsburgh’s Opening Day roster. The 19-year-old prodigy has been the story of the Grapefruit League after a two-homer eruption against the Red Sox earlier this week. There’s little historical precedent for a teenager reaching the majors with just 21 games above High-A — Juan Soto in 2018 represents the most recent example — but Griffin’s extraordinary power/speed blend gives him a chance excel right away. If this spring is any indication, his fantasy stock isn’t just rising; it’s skyrocketing.

Not a bad way to get your first two hits in MLB spring training. After going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in his first two games, Griffin got the scoring started by taking a hanging curveball from Ranger Suarez and hitting it 374 feet for a two-run home run. He then followed that up with a 440-foot solo home run off Seth Martinez that left the bat at 112 mph. Through three games, we’ve seen both the pure talent of Griffin and also the steep learning curve that is going to come for a 19-year-old who has just 98 plate appearances at Double-A. It remains to be seen how aggressive the Pirates want to be with him, but more days like this will force their hand.

Griffin, widely viewed as the game’s No. 1 prospect, had a weak groundout in his first at-bat, but his remaining two balls in play were a 105.6-mph, 397-foot fly to center and a 109.1-mph lineout to right field. Griffin will likely need a pretty spectacular spring to make the Pirates. This won’t help the statline, but it was a good day for the 19-year-old.

Kelly didn’t say that it wouldn’t happen, but he did remind reporters that Griffin has “only had a handful of at-bats at Double-A.” This may be a tactic to keep pressure off MLB’s top prospect, but it’s also not incorrect. Griffin is only 19 years old and has just 98 total plate appearances at Double-A. Asking him to make the jump to face big league pitchers is certainly a tough ask, but he may just be capable enough to respond to it. There is plenty of time for Griffin to win a job in spring training, but it would behoove fantasy managers drafting now to remember that the Pirates don’t generally rush their prospects to the big leagues, and Griffin has a tall task ahead of him to make the Opening Day roster

There hasn’t been any doubt, but now it’s official that Griffin will be at camp. Given the Pirates’ history, it seems unlikely that he’ll have much of a shot at winning the shortstop job prior to Opening Day, but he could well prove to be the best man for the job at age 19 (he turns 20 in April). Griffin hit .333/.415/.527 with 21 homers and 65 steals between high-A and Double-A last season, and he is widely regarded as the game’s No. 1 prospect.

Griffin is the top prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline and many other rankings sites. He’s just 19 years old, but he hit .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 steals in his first professional season after Pittsburgh drafted him 9th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. As Passan notes, the last teenager to debut in the majors was Juan Soto back in 2018, and the Pirates are certainly not a win-now team, so it feels unlikely Griffin will actually open the season as the team’s shortstop, but he may not be that far away.

McGonigle hasn’t missed a beat since arriving in the desert, collecting his third multi-hit effort in his last four games — and fifth in 10 contests overall — to continue an impressive AFL campaign. The 21-year-old top prospect’s second homer of the fall circuit traveled 424 feet to center with a 107.2 mph exit velocity. His advanced bat-to-ball skills, consistent hard contact, and refined plate approach should give him a legitimate chance to break camp with Detroit next spring after posting a stellar .991 OPS with 19 homers across three levels last season. At the top of the dynasty landscape, it’s McGonigle’s polished hitting ability versus Griffin’s power/speed electricity — the safer floor or the higher ceiling — in the battle for the top overall prospect spot heading into next season.

Griffin continues to solidify his case as the game’s top fantasy prospect, becoming just the second minor leaguer in the last two decades to post a 20-homer, 60-steal season. The 19-year-old phenom has homered four times in his last seven Double-A games and is slashing an eye-popping .329/.415/.529 with 112 runs, 20 homers, 90 RBI, and 65 steals across 116 contests. He’s currently on track to debut in Pittsburgh sometime in 2026.