Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin made his debut with Double-A Altoona on Tuesday, and it didn't take long for him to show why he's considered the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball.
The 2024 first-round pick singled in his first at-bat before promptly swiping second for his 60th steal of the year. He finished the night going 1-for-4 with an RBI, flashing the hit and speed tools that have earned him a pair of promotions already this season.
Griffin advanced to third on an error but was ultimately tagged out at home. He proceeded to struggle later in the game, striking out in the bottom of the third inning and grounding into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the fourth. However, he proceeded to hit to a fly out that scored Sammy Siani in the sixth inning to tie the game at 5-5. Altoona went on to win by a final score of 6-5.
Pirates fans get glimpse of future as Konnor Griffin shines in Double-A debut
Konnor Griffin makes an immediate impact in his Double-A @AltoonaCurve debut ⚡️
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 19, 2025
MLB's No. 1 prospect (@Pirates) hit .332 with 59 steals across two levels prior to his most recent promotion: pic.twitter.com/eCQ9zolr8h
Griffin started the 2025 campaign, his first in pro ball, at Single-A Bradenton. He excelled through 50 games, slashing .338/.396/.536 with nine home runs, 36 RBI and 26 stolen bases to earn his first promotion to High-A Greensboro in June.
Griffin's production did not slow at High-A, where he slashed .325/.432/.510 with seven homers, 36 RBI and 33 stolen bases through 51 games before getting promoted a second time. At 19 years and 117 days old, Griffin became the youngest player ever to play for Double-A Altoona when he suited up on Tuesday.
On the season, Griffin is slashing .331/.412/.521 across three levels of the Pirates' minor league system. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America named Griffin as the top prospect in baseball in their midseason re-rankings, creating heightened expectations around what he can do to help the Pirates when he gets to Pittsburgh.
As far as when that could be, 2026 certainly isn't out of the question. Griffin has already jumped two levels in the Pirates' system this year; who's to say he won't do it again next year?
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