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When Konnor Griffin began his professional career this April, it didn’t start on a high note.

In his first eight professional at-bats, Griffin struck out six times. It would be the last time that happened, however, as the 19-year-old shortstop and Pirates 2024 first-round draft pick didn't record another two-game stretch with six strikeouts all season.

"There were some swing adjustments that I had to make," Griffin told Baseball America.

Adjust he did.

After getting over the rough start, Griffin hit .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs, 65 stolen bases and 117 runs en route to a historically successful debut season in which he climbed three levels and ascended to become Baseball America's No. 1 overall prospect.

Now, Griffin has also been named BA's Minor League Player of the Year for 2025.

Unmatched Dominance

Griffin achieved the honor thanks in part to offensive dominance not seen in years. Over the last 20 minor league seasons, he is the only player to produce a season with…

• A .300 or better average

• 20+ home runs

• 60+ stolen bases

• 100+ runs

And while the offensive numbers speak for themselves, what set Griffin apart from his top prospect peers in 2025 was the versatility he showed in the field. Drafted ninth overall as a shortstop with plus defense, Griffin also stood out defensively in center field—rare value at two premium defensive positions.

Such was the season for Griffin, who spent 2025 as one of the youngest players on every professional ball field he stepped on while also always being the most talented. 

“It’s been a crazy year and a long journey," Griffin said. "I really didn’t know what to expect. I’ve learned a lot about myself and just try and get better every day.”

After hitting .338/.396/.536 over 50 games with Low-A Bradenton—a line 56% better than his Florida State League peers—Griffin's numbers got better in High-A. Over 51 games with Greensboro, he hit .325/.432/.510 for a line 70% better than South Atlantic League competition. This trend continued over the final month of the season upon promotion to Double-A Altoona, where Griffin slashed .337/.418/.542 over 21 games to finish with a line that was 75% better than the average Eastern League hitter.

Griffin helped lead Altoona into the playoffs, pushing a talented Erie team to a deciding game three as he he went 6-for-10 with three walks.

• SEE ALSO: How Konnor Griffin Compares To Every Player Of The Year Since 1981

The Swing Changes

Though Griffin, BA's High School Player of the Year in 2024, was touted coming out of Jackson Preparatory School in Mississippi, there were lingering questions about his hit tool as he turned pro. A swing change this offseason that saw Griffin strive to become more fluid and streamlined at the plate helped answer those questions emphatically.

 “I had an arm bar in high school, as my hands would be back with my body moving forward,” Griffin said. “I just tried to make everything more simple, shorter, quicker to the ball.”

You can see some of the adjustments below. Here’s what Griffin’s swing looked like last July:

Fast-forward to this spring, and you can see the difference in both his mechanics and physicality.

The Buzz From Scouts Built Early

The results had people taking notice even before the season began. Still only 18 at the time and without an official professional game on his ledger, Griffin was the talk of minor league spring training in Florida, and his performances on the back fields left scouts plenty impressed.

While evaluators had a hunch Griffin would succeed as a professional due to athleticism and tools that checked every box as a potential breakout, few predicted the dominance that would follow over the next five and a half months. But the seeds of success were there from the start. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Griffin is an outlier athlete who was an elite performer in pre-draft athletic testing. Those skills were showcased in 2025 by way of his plus-plus speed, plus game power, plus defense at two up-the-middle positions and a hit tool that, despite pre-draft questions, now grades as easily plus.

Griffin's hit tool quality is backed not only by his .333 batting average and 21.7% strikeout rate but by advanced metrics, as well. His 16.5% in-zone whiff rate this season is quite a bit lower than the minor league average, and he displays a good balance of patience and aggression within his plate approach. 

While Griffin's power was never in question, it has manifested in a more substantial way than anticipated. Griffin’s 107.6 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and 115.7 mph max EV are both 80-grade metrics among teenage peers.

So, What’s Next?

What might be even more frightening for opposing pitchers is that Griffin is still learning to optimize his batted-ball angles. That's perhaps the most exciting aspect of Griffin’s season—despite immense success at every level and five plus-or-better tools, Griffin could still get even better.

At just 19 years old, Griffin heads into the offseason as the No. 1 prospect in baseball and Minor League Player of the Year. And after his breakout 2025 campaign, he joins Paul Skenes in carrying the fortunes of a Pirates fanbase desperate for reasons to be hopeful after a woeful 30 years.

Whether it's at the start of 2026 or sometime later next summer, Griffin figures to grace the infield at PNC Park in Pittsburgh sooner rather than later as baseball's next superstar in the making.

Editor’s Picks

2025 Bowman Chrome: Topps’ annual prospect-laden release is here. These are the players we’re most excited to try to find. Read more…

2026 Books! You can now preorder our 2026 offerings, including the Prospect Handbook with Konnor Griffin on the cover, here.

Jonah Tong, ERA Leader? J.J. Cooper explains why no one can say for certain whether the Mets righty was the minor league ERA champ. Read more…

Quick Hits

Prospect news and notes from around baseball…

• Dylan Crews is swinging a hotter bat in his return from a significant oblique injury.

• In non-Konnor Griffin news, the Pirates are reportedly calling up their No. 6 prospect, LHP Hunter Barco, for the final week of the regular season.

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