Konnor Griffin and 2 other hot Pirates prospects who should be promoted to Double-A

It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Pirates do not have much in the farm system when it comes to hitters. The Pirates have prioritized pitching since the start of the rebuild, and while they now have a good pitching staff, they’re severely lacking offensive output.

However, they currently have three top prospects at the High-A level absoutely raking offensively. They are some of the youngest players at their respective level and are deserving of a promotion to Double-A.

One is their 2024 first-round pick, Konnor Griffin, who started the year at Bradenton and did so well that he was sent to Greensboro after just 50 games. It’s only been 11 more contests and 57 plate appearances, but Griffin has done nothing but mash the baseball since getting to the next level of the minor leagues.

Griffin is slashing .354/.439/.583 with a .463 wOBA and 182 wRC+. He already has two home runs and is 7-for-10 in stolen base attempts. Griffin struggled with strikeouts earlier this year but cut his K% down from 22.9% at A-Ball to just 14% at High-A. On top of that, his walk rate has also increased from 6.5% to 10.5%. Griffin just turned 19 in April and is the 10th youngest High-A player with at least 50 plate appearances. However, the next closest teenage prospect at High-A in terms of wRC+ is Franklin Arias, with a 126 wRC+ (albeit in a larger 189 plate appearance sample size). Griffin may be young, but he’s proving to be one of the most talented prospects in baseball.

Another prospect who has been destroying the baseball is Esmerlyn Valdez. Valdez had a strong 2024 campaign at A-Ball when he smacked 22 home runs and had a 130 wRC+. However, this also came with a 30% strikeout rate. However, Valdez has improved nearly every aspect of his game this year.

Valdez is batting .316/.397/.617 with a 178 wRC+ in 290 trips to the dish. He already has 19 home runs with an isolated slugging percentage of .301. His 10.6% walk rate is a step back from 2024, but his strikeout percentage has fallen dramatically to just 23.8%. But June has been a huge month for Valdez. He owns a 1.112 OPS, .499 wOBA, and 205 wRC+ over his last 84 PAs. He has only struck out 17 times and has drawn 11 walks. Plus, he has hit four home runs in 18 games. Right now, Valdez currently leads all qualified High-A batters in slugging percentage, wOBA, and wRC+ and ranks top three in OPS, batting average, and isolated slugging percentage.

Last but certainly not least is catching prospect Omar Alfonzo, who also had a strong 2024 season with a 118 wRC+. He spent most of his season at Bradenton but got a late-season promotion to Greensboro, where he excelled, albeit in only 24 games and 97 plate appearances. Alfonzo has since opened the year at High-A once again, but his recent showings should get him a bump to Double-A.

Alfonzo is batting .261/.390/.450 with a .392 wOBA and 135 wRC+ across 265 plate appearances. He already has 11 home runs, nearly matching his 2024 total of 13, but in nearly 200 fewer trips to the plate. Although he has a strong 16.2% walk rate, his strikeout rate sits at 27.9%. But strikeouts haven’t been a massive issue as of late for Alfonzo. Since May 20th, he has a 1.062 OPS, .497 wOBA, and 192 wRC+. Eight of his home runs this season have come in his last 116 plate appearances. He’s only struck out at a 21.6% rate but is still drawing walks at a quality 14.7% mark.

The Pirates need to see what these players have, especially Griffin, and they can't wait more time. The organization lacks real hitting talent in the Major Leagues. It’s why Paul Skenes has a sub-.500 record despite elite results, or Mitch Keller having a 1-10 record even though he typically is above average.

Double-A is the real test of skill in the minor leagues. With the Pirates desperate for some offense, they need to see if these players have what it takes to hit for Altoona. If they can, the Bucs put themselves in a good spot where they could all make their MLB debut sometime in 2026.