Top pick Griffin, already 6-4 at age 18, aims to hit new heights

When Konnor Griffin was a high school sophomore, he wanted to challenge himself more. 

He had already been playing varsity baseball at Jackson Prep High School in Flowood, Miss. for two years and he was one of the oldest kids in his class. So, to push himself to another level, Griffin reclassified to become eligible for this year's draft and it seemed to have paid off for the 2024 National Gatorade Player of the Year as the Pirates selected him with the ninth overall pick Sunday night in the 2024 MLB Draft. 

"I was playing against guys that were a few years older than me and I think it was the best thing for me because the 2025 class was good, it's just I kind of separated myself a little bit but I needed to face some adversity," Griffin said. "Going into pro ball, it's going to be a tough journey and I needed to know how to experience that adversity." 

That type of mentality and personality trait was something that stood out to both Ben Cherington and Justin Horowitz in the lead-up to the draft as those are the types of character traits that stick out to them when they are scouting potential first-round picks. It showed with Nick Gonzales in 2020, Henry Davis in 2021, Termarr Johnson in 2022 and Paul Skenes at this time last year. The Pirates are going after players who can be leaders on the field, leaders in the club

While Griffin, who was rated the ninth-best prospect in this year's draft by both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, may have been looking for adversity, he found even more success.  During his final high school season, Griffin slashed .559/.690/.966 but also stole 87 bases, scored 76 runs, tallied 39 RBIs and hit nine home runs. Griffin was also a stud on the pitcher's mound as well, recording a 0.72 ERA, and struck out 107 batters in 67 2/3 innings of work. 

His athletic ability, his 6-4, 215-pound frame, and his five-tool potential caught the eye of both Ben Cherington and Justin Horowitz leading up to the draft Sunday. While they weren't sure if he was going to fall, it seemed all the more likely as the board started to shake out through the first eight picks. Griffin said his agent started to get calls from the Pirates around pick No. 5 and after the Angels selected Christian Moore at No. 8, the Pirates got their guy.

There's more to come on Day 1 of the MLB Draft.