Konnor Griffin’s First Week in Altoona Was One for the Ages

After taking a second to appreciate the moment, Griffin dug in for his first at-bat. He wasted no time, recording his first Double-A hit against Griff McGarry, a pitcher seven years older than him. Following his broken-bat single, Griffin immediately stole second base, marking his 60th stolen base of the season.

The rest of his trips to the plate ended up being pretty insignificant, although he did record his first RBI on a sac fly during the bottom of the sixth inning. The Curve went on to win his Double-A debut 6-5, making this sac fly incredibly important. He finished the game going 1-for-4 at the plate.

Following his debut, Griffin told reporters, “Yeah, it was a good day, getting the win is the most important thing. Getting the dub, that was awesome, and getting my first taste of Double-A was fun.”

For the Altoona Curve, this debut couldn’t have been a more special day. From his first hit to a close victory, Tuesday proved to be a very special way to welcome the team’s top prospect to his next level.

Breaking Down Griffin’s Performance During Week One

After making his Double-A debut on Tuesday, Griffin slowly began to settle in at the level, facing some very solid pitching along the way. He was challenged throughout the course of the week, and he responded like a seasoned veteran.

On Thursday, Griffin recorded his first multi-hit performance. He singled three times against the Reading Fightin Phils’ pitching staff, which was an impressive response to an 0-for-4 contest on Wednesday that included three strikeouts.

Two of Griffin’s hits on Thursday were barreled pretty hard off the bat to left field, with his second hit being the hardest hit ball of the day. He lined this ball into left field, hitting it just out of reach for Aidan Miller, our No. 52 prospect.

Griffin barreled quite a few balls to the wall during this week’s contests, just missing his first Double-A home run a few times in the process. He came fairly close on Friday, as he fell short of the left field wall by a short distance.

He’d go on to finish the week going 6-for-21 at the plate, which helped him register a .286/.346/.286 slash line during his first week. He also drove in four runs and stole four bases, while walking a handful of times. Not bad for a teenager playing in Double-A, but this performance still leaves room for growth as he adjusts to better arms.

The box scores don’t tell the full story of Griffin’s performance at the plate during his first week, however. He slowly became more comfortable at the plate, and this was very clear when watching his full at-bats.

Griffin has struggled against sliders this season, and he was attacked heavily with them early in the week. According to the Statcast data publicly available from his time in Low-A, Griffin posted a .313 xwOBA alongside a 43% whiff rate against sliders, showing his struggles.

When he was attacked by them early in the week, Griffin chased sliders low and away quite often, whiffing at them nearly every single time. Near the end of the week, this had totally changed, as Griffin refined his approach to take these sliders.

This resulted in more fastballs in the zone, which Griffin handled with ease in comparison to the sliders he faced. Even if he wasn’t consistently recording hits, he was hitting these heaters in play pretty hard. This will be huge for Griffin moving forward, as his struggles against sliders were one of his biggest weaknesses.

Also, as opposing pitchers threw sliders that finished in the zone, Griffin wasn’t shy to foul these pitches off. Once again, this led to more fastballs in the zone for him to hit. The fact that he was able to handle one of his biggest weaknesses in this manner really stood out to me when watching him up close.

Aside from his performance at the plate, I can say that his speed and glove are both legit. Although we only saw Griffin play shortstop during this week’s action, he handled it with ease, looking smooth on his feet with a strong arm in the process. I’ll be curious to see him try out center field during his time in Altoona, as this is where he has the most potential in my eyes.

Griffin flew around the bases when given the chance, causing havoc wherever he could. The Pirates haven’t had a minor leaguer steal 60 bases since 2001, and their last Major Leaguer to do so was back in 1997. With three weeks to go in the season, he could reach new heights with his speed.

Overall, this week showcased plenty of development in Griffin’s game, while also leaving room to grow moving forward. For a 19-year-old to be making these types of adjustments in Double-A gives me an immense amount of confidence regarding his future.

Griffin Stood in the Spotlight

From the moment Konnor Griffin stepped onto the field in Altoona, every move he made drew attention. From fans eager to get a look at their next future star to scouts closely watching everything he did, this week was all about Griffin and how he’d fare against better pitching.

At just 19 years old, Griffin wasn’t simply another High-A call-up; he was the centerpiece of the series, carrying the weight of hype, hope, and projection squarely on his shoulders. In another losing season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, moments like this bring fans a future to hold out hope for.

Over the six games the Curve played at home last week, they drew an attendance of at least 5,600 fans three times, not bad for a stadium that seats just over 7,200 fans. This included an electric Saturday night, where the Curve drew over 8,000 fans to watch the next generation of Pittsburgh Pirates.

Fans were rewarded with one of the coolest moments of Griffin’s first series when Griffin singled to right field to score a rehabbing Oneil Cruz from third base.

This moment was truly special, as it signified that the next generation of Pirates baseball isn’t that far away. With a star-studded rotation, a talented 19-year-old prospect, and an incredible athlete in Oneil Cruz, the future is bright.

This moment seemed like a bridging of two eras, as we saw the franchise’s hope for success blend with some of the best talent of today. Griffin’s single to score Oneil Cruz wasn’t just a run on the board; it was a glimpse of the future taking shape. In that instant, the excitement surrounding the young prospect was noticeable, hinting at the impact he could have in the seasons to come.