Konnor Griffin continues his strong start with Greensboro
Griffin records eighth multi-hit game out of 16 with Greensboro
Jumping up a level during the middle of the season can always lead to some struggles, especially for a teenager jumping up to High-A.
Not only has Konnor Griffin made the jump to High-A as a teenager, but he is actually performing better than he did with the Bradenton Marauders at the Single-A level.
It’s still early, he’s played just 16 games, but Griffin already has 23 hits and has slashed .365/.461/.587 with five doubles and three home runs. He’s also stolen 11 bases in 14 attempts, and his strikeout rate has dropped nearly 7% from where it was with Bradenton.
Griffin has as many multi-hit games as he does with none or one.
He’s done this while playing sound defense at shortstop and made a fantastic catch in his lone game in center field.
Perhaps the play that stood out the most for Griffin was on Saturday. While stealing a base and running full speed, he turned to dodge a tag and was able to get his foot on the bag to ensure he remained safe.
It was an incredible display of his athleticism in a place you don’t generally expect to see it.
I started to fully cover the Pirates’ minor league system coming out of the COVID stoppage in 2021. I think it is safe to say that Griffin is the most naturally gifted player I have seen in the organization since then.
There were a few solid pitching performances around the system on Saturday, including one from a player making his debut at that level.
Antwone Kelly tossed five innings of one-run ball in picking up his first Double-A win in his first start. The swing and miss wasn’t quite there like it usually is; he had just six swinging strikes and three strikeouts, but the efficiency is something you like to see at a new level.
He needed just 66 pitches to get through the five innings, 42 of which went for strikes. Kelly has been one of the more impressive pitchers in the system this season, posting an ERA of 2.94 across 64.1 IP.
His former teammate in Greensboro, Khristian Curtis, shook off a rough fourth inning and finished strong on Saturday. He struck out six and allowed one run on two hits, two walks, and a hit batter over five innings.
Of those five base runners he allowed, three came in the fourth, as did the one earned run. One of his strikeouts was against Braden Montgomery, a first-round pick from last year, and a top 100 prospect.
It’s been a rough season for Matt Ager, a sixth-round pick from 2024 out of UC Santa Barbara. He posted a 10.22 ERA in 12.1 IP during May, walking (12) more than he struck out (7).
While he’s not missing many bats right now, he’s getting the results. In 18.1 IP this month, Ager has a 2.95, with the walks being down.
He had another solid outing on Saturday, striking out two over four shutout innings.
Even with Braxton Ashcraft and Mike Burrows set to graduate eventually, there are numerous pitching prospects currently working their way up the system.
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The thing about Griffin that I keep harping on beyond the stats is that he plays his ass off and clearly wants to be great. With his talent and this drive to succeed, the sky is the limit.
With regard to Griffin. There are players in any sport who love the game and have the pure mojo to drive the team. The level of the team rises with that player who, without which, you lose an edge.
Hard to remain composed and objective when I have not seen the player yet with all this hub-bub... And you all know me; I'm about to get optimistic about SOMETHING.... Cripes, I might explode.