Griffin boosts Pirates system, known for producing arms, with some pop

BRADENTON, Fla. – The Pirates’ strength in pitching is obvious. This is the organization that drafted Paul Skenes after all and saw him become the National League All-Star starter one year later. Jared Jones and Mitch Keller serve as more developmental success stories on the bump, and Top 100 prospects Bubba Chandler (No. 1/MLB No. 15) and Thomas Harrington (No. 3/MLB No. 79) are waiting in the wings.

Yet the next glittering prospect starting on his way to Steel City will take another road as a position player, and Konnor Griffin (No. 2/MLB No. 43), the ninth overall pick and the first high-schooler off the board in last year’s Draft, may already be well ahead of the curve.

Pittsburgh extended a non-roster invite to Griffin in his first Spring Training, months before his 19th birthday, to make him one of the youngest players in a 2025 Major League camp.

The right-handed slugger held his own in limited looks, going 2-for-9 with a pair of strikeouts over eight game appearances. But the clear highlight was his homer on March 1 off Orioles right-hander Brandon Young, a hurler with Triple-A experience. The pitch was a 93 mph fastball on the outside corner that Griffin drove the other way to right-center, thus showcasing the plus power potential that made him a Top 10 pick in the first place.

Watch Griffin on any diamond, and such tools are obvious. There’s that pop in his 6-foot-4 frame, but he’s also a borderline plus-plus runner with a bazooka arm. What stood out more during that Spring Training run was what happened behind the scenes, with Pirates officials reporting that the club’s top position player prospect was a sponge for information on the MLB side of Bradenton.

“The ingredients that he has, that's what we're betting on,” said Pittsburgh director of coaching and player development Michael Chernow. “Seeing these other characteristics of who he is and who he's growing into as a man really makes it something that we're excited about.”

There were some concerns about length in Griffin’s swing coming out of the Draft, but while he irons that out, his defensive development will draw a lot of intrigue, too. The Bucs have made it clear they intend to prioritize Griffin’s time at shortstop first and sprinkle in some center field to give him another option up the middle.

But don’t expect a set weekly schedule out of the gate, like four days per week at short and two in center. Griffin could spend whole weeks on the dirt if the Pirates decide he didn’t get enough balls hit to him in one stretch. Other times, he could get more time on the grass to stretch his legs.

The only thing set at this time in Spring Training is that both the infield and outfield coordination groups want to get their hands on arguably the system’s best athlete. His diving catch in left-center on Tuesday will only add fuel to that fiery tug of war.

“He takes it so seriously that you see him make plays at shortstop that give you a little bit where you can dream a little bit,” Chernow said, “And then you see him track stuff down the outfield, and you can dream there too. … You just want him to go out and compete and learn the game and let his natural gifts dictate the rest.”

Those raw tools already have generated plenty of buzz in all corners of Bradenton as Griffin works to fit himself into the hitting development apparatus of a Pirates farm system that, to this point, has a clear strength on the mound.

“What we’re really trying to encourage from the Major League level all the way down is keep the line moving,” Chernow said. “Team offense is such a priority because we have really good pitching, and we want to make sure that we're doing the little things that are going to help us win games.”

Something to prove: Termarr Johnson

Let’s be clear, this isn’t a make-or-break year for Johnson (PIT No. 4) by any means. The 2022 fourth overall pick is still only 20 years old and already has Double-A experience. He’s ahead of most curves.

But the 5-foot-9 infielder was expected to be a potential plus-plus hitter in pro ball and, instead, enters his third full season with a career .239 average. He’s stood out more for his .390 OBP, but his willingness to sell out for pull side power has brought pause to his profile. He’s slipped to No. 82 in Pipeline’s Top 100 and could slide out completely if results don’t come with more authority in his age-21 season.

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The Pirates continue to take the long view, knowing they’ve been aggressive with Johnson to this point. They see 2025 as an opportunity for him to show how much he’s learned and how well he can adjust as he strives to return to the form that made him such an exciting Draft prospect three years ago.

“He has a chance to be a complete hitter because he has those traits at such a young age,” Chernow said. “Learning what the game is offering, learning how he's being attacked, and understanding how to navigate an at-bat are some areas where we've seen him consistently grow. He's certainly going to be challenged this year with it, and I feel like he's in a good spot to take on that challenge.”

Breakout potential: Estuar Suero

The Pirates’ No. 25 prospect was acquired from the Padres in 2023 as part of the Rich Hill/Ji-Man Choi swap but has yet to play above the complex levels. A broken hamate affected him most recently in '24, and he finished with just a .213/.318/.307 line in 25 games.

But with that issue behind him, Suero could take off in his age-19 season. The outfielder stands at 6-foot-6, hits from both sides and earns above-average grades for his run tool. The individual pieces are there for a standout prospect, and improved hand health will mean more reps, which the Pirates hope will mean an improved contact rate that could help Suero jump up prospect rankings this summer.

“When a guy has the type of ability that he has and the collection of tools and traits, once he starts figuring it out, we expect the performance will follow thereafter,” Chernow said.

Camp standout: Sammy Siani

Siani dropped his strikeout rate from 31.7 percent at High-A Greensboro in '23 to 18.9 percent between there and Double-A Altoona last summer thanks to a flatter bat path. He carried that success into the Arizona Fall League, where he was a Fall Star thanks to a .375/.457/.550 line over 92 additional plate appearances.

The brother of Cardinals centerfielder Michael Siani, the 37th overall pick in 2019 was left unprotected and unpicked in last year’s Rule 5 Draft, but the Philadelphia native hasn’t slowed down this spring at Pirate City. His above-average speed gives him the chance to play all three outfield spots, and he could put that and his improved offense on display as a Spring Breakout participant Friday against the Phillies.

“He’s put the work in, and there's momentum going,” Chernow said. “Now he has an opportunity to participate in this game against his hometown team. We wanted to reward that, and from our perspective, try and continue the momentum and see where this year goes.”