Konnor Griffin's brief spring training cameo showed Pirates fans all they were hoping for

Getting to see what a team's young prospects can do against major league veterans is one of the more exciting things about spring training. The featured player for fans to watch this season was Konnor Griffin, who put on quite the show before getting assigned to minor league camp over the weekend.

The 18-year-old has an outstanding set of tools that most fans have been eager to see ever since the Pirates picked him in the draft. Luckily, we all got to see his tools in action during his short spring stint, where he actually made a few highlights in just seven at-bats.

He hit a go-ahead home run in the ninth inning, a run scoring single, and struck out just one time. Although he did not get to display his 65-graded speed on the basepaths, he did get to show off four putouts across 19 innings in center field.

Griffin was drafted as a shortstop, so his play primarily coming in center field was very notable. Even after the position switch for Oneil Cruz, it appears that the Pirates' plan is to continue to transition Griffin into an outfielder. Maybe they'll alternate him between the two positions, which could be valuable down the road. The Pirates love versatility, as we have seen through their use ofmany different options at first base this spring.

Pirates top hitting prospect Konnor Griffin displayed his highly touted skills to Pittsburgh fans during his short spring training stint.

It is uncertain which minor-league level Griffin will start at in 2025, but now that we got a glimpse of what he can do against professional competition, he could very well glide through the ranks. The expected start for him is with the Bradenton Marauders, the Pirates' Low-A affiliate.

The future is definitely bright for the Pirates, especially with this star youngster leading the charge in the farm system. Griffin is a very notable prospect, and his performance during spring training was very impressive, especially for an 18 year old. Everything fans expected to see from Griffin was displayed during his first ever spring training, setting him up for a big first year in professional baseball.