Konnor Griffin Is Dominating This Spring – How High Is the 18-Year-Old’s Ceiling?

After building up a tremendous group of young pitchers in their farm system, the Pittsburgh Pirates entered the 2024 MLB Draft with an obvious goal in mind: Get these young arms some offensive help.

Aside from their power-hitting second baseman Termarr Johnson, the club only had two other bats inside Just Baseball’s top 15 Pirates prospects heading into 2024, which was a very concerning sign. For a team with such good pitching prospects, having almost no bats to support them is troublesome.

Luckily for the Pirates, they had the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft with top offensive prospects surrounding their selection. Many thought the Pirates would end up taking a college-level prospect with hopes to fast-track some offensive help to the big leagues.

However, Pittsburgh opted to go the prep route by selecting Konnor Griffin, an incredibly talented outfielder and shortstop. This was a little surprising in the moment, but the Pirates clearly liked the build Griffin came with, paying him $6.53 million.

Fast forward to this spring, and Griffin is a completely different player than he was last July. In one offseason, he’s completely reworked his swing, added tons of muscle, and become a true five-tool prospect.

In the time he spent with the major league club at spring training, Griffin also performed extremely well, leading many to wonder what his true potential may look like.

Breaking Down Griffin’s Game

To put it simply, Griffin is one of the more physically gifted athletes we’ve seen enter professional baseball in a very long time. Coming out of the draft, Griffin was given a 65-70 grade run tool while also receiving impressive power grades in the process.

Now in professional baseball, Griffin has still received impressive grades overall. In Aram Leighton’s most recent update of the Just Baseball top 100, Aram gave Griffin high praise.

Griffin’s run tool is still his most attractive tool, as it received a 70 grade from Aram. Given his size, his strides are far longer, making it a lot easier for him to receive a grade this impressive.

Griffin’s other tools also received impressive grades, however, with a chance for his glove to reach a 70 grade as well. With his elite speed, it’s a lot easier for him to track balls in the gap in center field, allowing for this to trend in the right direction.

While we haven’t seen Griffin take many at-bats against professional arms, there’s been a lot to be excited about in the little we’ve seen. His power looks very good, projecting to come near a 60 grade as Griffin continues to grow into his body.

The 18-year-old stands in at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, with this number potentially climbing even more after Griffin added a lot of muscle during the offseason. This build is typically seen in linebackers, not teenage MLB prospects.

There have been concerns about his hit tool and his discipline, but with some more professional experience, I think this still has room to grow. This is even more true when you consider the improved swing he’s showcased this spring.

His right-handed swing is one of the strongest swings you’ll see in the minor leagues, as he’s still able to be quick through the zone without sacrificing any power. He stands with his feet evenly spread toward the pitcher, using a smaller leg kick in his stride.

His bat begins at approximately a 70-degree tilt, with the top of the bat facing the pitcher. Griffin doesn’t showcase nearly any twitchiness in his hands before his load, although they do sway back toward the catcher during his stride.

Even though he stands with his weight spread evenly, Griffin does a great job loading into his back half and staying engaged in his lower half throughout his full swing. He’s quick to the ball, finishing high and towards the left field line.

The swing he’s displayed throughout spring training is far better than the one we saw from him during his senior year at Jackson Prep. He’s done a much better job keeping himself from over-striding, which was a recurring struggle for him due to his large frame.

Overall, Griffin possesses all the tools necessary to become a five-tool player with some development in the minor leagues. With time, we may be looking at one of the more gifted players in the minors if all goes to plan for the 18-year-old.

Offseason Adjustments

As I previously mentioned, Griffin’s offseason was a huge success, as he revamped his swing and gained plenty of muscle. Back when the Pirates drafted Griffin in July, his swing was lengthy, and he had some inconsistencies in his timing as well as his pitch recognition.

Fast forward to this spring, and Griffin’s swing has completely changed.

Griffin has done a far better job at stacking his weight on his back side and utilizing his lower half much more than he previously had. This allows him to get into a much better launch position and drive the ball with more force and strength than ever before.

Griffin’s hands are also in a lower, straighter starting position, which allows him to take an easier path to the baseball as opposed to the longer, lengthier path he was forced to take with his old swing.

The swing I’ve attached above is the best example of Griffin’s new swing we’ve seen this spring. When watching the video, you can see just how much stronger his swing looks.

Granted, a lot of this has to do with the muscle he gained this offseason, but when comparing his swings from last summer, the mechanical changes stand out as well.

Griffin has also done a much better job at keeping his head down through contact, allowing him to drive through the ball and put his body into his swing. Before this spring, that was not something Griffin could do consistently or very well.

The fact that Griffin was able to change his swing this much and this efficiently in just one offseason is incredibly impressive. It’s a testament to his work ethic and dedication to the sport, as well as his sheer athleticism.

How High Is Griffin’s Ceiling?

While it’s still tough to project just how much further Griffin can grow and develop with time, this offseason gives me an immense amount of confidence as to the type of player he can become in the majors.

With his swing now being in a far better place and his body also being much stronger, there’s no doubt in my mind that Griffin possesses the power to hit 30 or more homers in a single big league season.

In addition to this, his speed should give him the potential to join the 30/30 club, which would push him toward becoming one of the best players in baseball.

It currently seems as though the Pirates are trying to develop Griffin as a shortstop, which is not where he’ll be at his best in my opinion. In center field, Griffin’s speed will allow him to chase down fly balls that most players couldn’t even come close to.

If he sticks in center field, I truly believe Griffin has the potential to win a Gold Glove and become one of the premier defenders in the sport.

While the Pirates may lack a significant, five-tool impact bat right now, it shouldn’t be long until this void is filled by Konnor Griffin and the talent he brings to the field every single day.