Some of the biggest buzz for the Pittsburgh Pirates surrounded a shortstop who was neither in attendance at PiratesFest nor has played a game yet in the major leagues but is being billed as a future superstar.
Konnor Griffin became baseball’s consensus No. 1 prospect entering the 2026 season when MLB Pipeline revealed its top 100 list Friday night and gave the 19-year-old a rare 70 overall grade on the 20-80 scouting scale that serves as a predictor of long-term potential.
Baseball America named Griffin its top prospect earlier in the week, capping an incredible first professional season that saw the No. 9 overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft earn minor league player of the year honors and a Gold Glove as he shined across three levels.
Baseball’s No. 1 prospect is Konnor Griffin!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) January 24, 2026
The 19-year-old took the baseball world by storm with a 20-60 season his pro debut, and there appears to be no stopping the tooled-up @Pirates phenom: https://t.co/E71LOyW7cB pic.twitter.com/DZLaeChHJn
When asked about Griffin during a Q&A session with fans Saturday morning, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington did his best to balance his excitement against expectations because of offseason rumors that Griffin could compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
“Konnor has had a remarkable first year-plus as a Pirate in the organization. He’s met every single challenge that’s been put in front of him, arguably exceeded and gone even further than our expectations,” Cherington said. “He’s a really exciting, important part of that next wave of young, talented players that are going to help us win games in Pittsburgh.”
Cherington noted the importance of reminding everyone that the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Griffin is still a teenager, one who was dominant at Low-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro but had only 98 plate appearances in 21 games in Double-A after a mid-August promotion to the Altoona Curve.
“There’s a lot in front of him,” Cherington said. “Our job, in my opinion, is to do everything we possibly can to put him in the position to have the best, longest career possible in a way that helps the Pirates win as many games as possible. So that’s going to continue to guide us. But, boy, we’re fortunate to have him in the organization.
“Obviously, you see what he did on the field from a performance standpoint. He’s getting a lot of attention from that. I can say, having gotten to know him and be around him, he’s just a remarkably mature young man who has a chance to be a leader in his own right. He sets an example for teammates, works his tail off and wants to be really good. He’s someone we want to have be in the Pirates for a long time.”
To further Cherington’s point, Griffin had a good excuse for missing the fan festival at David L. Lawrence Convention Center: He was on his honeymoon, after marrying high school sweetheart Dendy Hogan on Jan. 17 in Oxford, Miss.
Their celebration coincided with Griffin’s crowning as baseball’s next five-tool talent. After batting .333/.415/.527 with 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, 117 runs scored and 65 stolen bases in 122 games last year, MLB Pipeline gave Griffin grades of 70 for his arm strength and speed, 65 for power and 60 for his fielding and hitting.
That his lowest grades were given after winning a MiLB Gold Glove and being named MLB Pipeline’s Hitting Prospect of the Year gives a glimpse of Griffin’s incredible skill set. He’s been compared favorably to Alex Rodriguez in terms of size and power potential and Bobby Witt Jr. in speed and fielding.
Where does Konnor Griffin stand so far in prospect history?
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) January 26, 2026
MLB's No. 1 prospect compares favorably with the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Giancarlo Stanton as amateurs: https://t.co/M5LEXhaYSY pic.twitter.com/eyVapFHMpt
Griffin ranks in the top 10 of teenage minor league prospects in total bases (255), OPS (.942) and weighted runs created (165 wRC+). Since 2016, Griffin is one of 16 players given a 70 overall grade by MLB Pipeline. That list includes former No. 1 overall picks in Carlos Correa, Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday, MVPs in Ronald Acuna Jr. and Kris Bryant and superstars such as Byron Buxton, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Julio Rodriguez, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Witt.
“No matter how you slice this one up, it’s clear Griffin’s name absolutely belongs on any short list of greatest top prospects we’ve seen over the past two decades,” MLB Pipeline analyst Jonathan Mayo wrote. “That’s not a guarantee of future stardom, of course, with the lists above littered with players who had huge grades or huge early seasons who never quite lived up to the very lofty expectations set for them. We should find out soon if Griffin is ready to join the list of elites in the big leagues.”
Day in the Life: Konnor Griffin ⚡️
— BRUCE BOLT (@bruceboltus) January 25, 2026
???? Full video on YouTube: https://t.co/6m8BP71IHz pic.twitter.com/spK0EbChyH
Pirates second base prospect Termarr Johnson, drafted fourth overall out of Atlanta’s Mays High School in 2022, can relate to the pressure of being a highly touted teenager but found Griffin to be cut from a different cloth as his locker mate and double-play partner in Altoona.
“He can play. Everybody knows that,” said Johnson, who trained with Griffin this offseason in Florida. “I commended him on the things that he could handle, the things that he did handle at such a young age. He’s done a really, really good job with it. He’s going to continue doing that because he has a really good family around him and has good teammates around him to help him. It’s really cool for him to do what he’s done at his age, and he’s only going to continue to get better with it. …
“It’s cool to be the No. 1 prospect. It’s cool to have all these accolades. It gives you something to keep going, but he knows what the goal is: Play baseball, focus on the baseball. One thing he did really well was just focus on the game every single day, regardless of him being the No. 1 pick, him being the No. 1 prospect or anything like that. He was focused on the game that day and gave it everything he could to win the game that day.”
Despite being a decade older, newly acquired Pirates outfielder Jake Mangum is an alum of the same high school as Griffin — Jackson Prep in Flowood, Miss. — and they have trained together in the same facility. Mangum called Griffin “a very unique top prospect” and a “special talent” because of the mindset and work ethic he brings to baseball.
“It’s cool to see him work like he’s not a top prospect,” Mangum said. “I’ve been with a lot of top prospects over the years, and I’ve been fortunate to play with some really cool teammates that have all worked hard. Anyone in the big leagues works really hard — and he’s no exception. He works really hard and he’s really talented. That’s a dangerous mix when you have those two things.”
