Pirates prospects Konnor Griffin, Esmerlyn Valdez named to All-Star Futures Game
Two Pittsburgh Pirates prospects, shortstop Konnor Griffin and outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez, have been named to the National League roster for the All-Star Futures Game.
The 26th edition of the showcase of baseball’s top prospects will be played July 12 at Atlanta’s Truist Park.
The 19-year-old Griffin, the ninth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Pirates’ No. 2 prospect overall. Griffin has 12 home runs and 48 RBIs in 67 games in his first pro season, split between Low-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro. After 50 games with the Marauders, Griffin was promoted to Greensboro on June 10.
The 21-year-old Valdez, signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent in January 2021, has a .263 batting average, 56 home runs and 195 RBIs over his 305 career games in the minors. He’s hitting .305 with 20 homers, 57 RBIs and a .977 OPS for the Grasshoppers this season.
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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