At 19, Jackson native Konnor Griffin is headed to Pittsburgh for Major League Baseball debut
By Rick Cleveland | Originally published by Mississippi Today
Jackson native and former Jackson Prep baseball standout Konnor Griffin, 19 years young, is headed for The Show.
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Thursday that Griffin has been promoted from the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Class AAA Indianapolis ballclub. He will make his Major League regular season debut Friday when the Pirates play host to the Baltimore Orioles in a 3:12 p.m. game at PNC Park.
Think about it this way: This time, two years ago, Griffin was playing high school baseball on Lakeland Drive in Flowood. Friday, he will play Major League Baseball. Yes, and little more than a year from now, he will be old enough to legally purchase a beer.
Griffin is expected to be the Pirates starting shortstop and will be the first teenaged position player to make his Major League debut since four-time All-Star Juan Soto did it in 2018. Griffin will turn 20 on April 24.
Griffin will join another former Jackson Prep star, Jake Mangum, with the Pirates, and Mangum will be glad to see him.
“I’m just super-excited for Konnor and his family,” Mangum wrote in a text message. “He’s a great kid and a special talent. I can’t wait to be his teammate.”
Griffin is, by consensus, rated the No. 1 MLB prospect in all of baseball. He spent most of spring training with the Pirates before he was optioned to Indianapolis on March 21. Griffin hit only .171 with the Pirates, but showed uncommon power with four homeruns and played superb defense at shortstop. At Indianapolis, he hit .471 in five regular season games.
He is what baseball people call a “five-tool talent,” meaning he can hit for average, hit for power, run, field and throw, all at above average level for Major Leaguers.
At Prep, Griffin was also considered a top Major League prospect as a pitcher with a 97 mph fast ball and a devastating slider. He struck out more than two batters per inning, while hitting for a .559 average and stealing a whopping 85 bases in 43 games He was the ninth pick of the 2024 MLB Draft and received a $6.53 million bonus when he signed with the Pirates.
Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer and former Major League pitching standout Jay Powell, then a Prep assistant coach, called Griffin “one of one.”
“I’ll tell you this,” Powell said. “Konnor is the best athlete I have ever been around, and I have been around a few.”
Powell’s Major League teammates included Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones and Todd Helton, all of whom have Hall of Fame plaques at Cooperstown.
Griffin rose rapidly through the Pirates minor league system in 2025, advancing through three different levels with remarkable numbers, particularly for an 18-year-old in professional baseball. He batted .333, with 21 home runs, 23 doubles, four triples, 96 runs batted in and 65 stolen bases. He excelled defensively at two of baseball’s most difficult positions, shortstop and centerfielder.
In Pittsburgh, Griffin has drawn comparisons to the last two Pirates hitting phenoms: Barry Bonds and Andrew McCutcheon, the last two Pirates to earn National League MVP honors. The Pirates believe Griffin brings the same kind of potential to Pittsburgh, which has suffered through seven consecutive losing seasons.
At Mississippi Today, we have thoroughly covered Griffin’s rapid ascent, A few of the highlights:
From February, 2024: The nation’s best high school baseball player plays in Jackson.
From July 10, 2024: Konnor Griffin prepares for the biggest day of his life.
From July 15, 2024: Draft Day could not have gone much better for Konnor Griffin.
From August of 2025: Griffin takes another step up the professional baseball ladder.
This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Source: Original Article
