Jason Mackey: Pirates’ past two top picks, Konnor Griffin and Paul Skenes, are already linked
By Jason Mackey / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Konnor Griffin comes off as incredibly mature and well-spoken for an 18-year-old. But in this moment, he basically locked up.
Ten random numbers appeared on his phone, the text welcoming him to the organization. Of all people, shortly after the Pirates selected Griffin ninth overall in the MLB draft last month, the person reaching out was none other than Paul Skenes.
“I had to look at it two or three times,” Griffin told me. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is crazy.’”
OK, so Skenes texted the Pirates’ first-round draft pick. Big deal, right? I’d argue there’s more here, something that speaks to the type of player the Pirates have targeted, as well as what Skenes already means for the organization.
But one thing at a time. The connection between the two is pretty funny.
Griffin, who was originally committed to LSU, explained to me that he attended a player panel at the school where Skenes was one of the featured speakers during his lone year there (in 2023). Similar to Skenes around older players, Griffin was apparently one of those who was the most into it, soaking up the experience for all it was worth.
That admiration for Skenes continues to this day, where Griffin has a ton of reverence for the Pirates’ top pitcher.
“Him texting me, it’s cool to build that relationship,” Griffin said. “The great players, they’ve learned from great players in the past. Just being able to take his advice on how he got through the minor leagues so fast ... hopefully I can take that advice and use it for myself.
“It’s cool to have him in my contacts if I ever need anything.”
I’d never ask Griffin to divulge the contents of a private conversation with a teammate, but I did ask if Skenes jokingly gave him some grief about passing on LSU.
“Not at all,” Griffin said. “He just said he’s super excited that I’m here. He said, ‘Hopefully we can play together in a few years.’ That’s pretty cool to think about.”
Sure is, which takes me to the Griffin-specific portion of this. There’s a lot to like about this kid.
The numbers he produced in high school are nuts — a .966 slugging percentage, 85 steals, plus a 10-0 record on the mound with a 0.72 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings. They were enough to net him Gatorade National Player of the Year honors for 2024 and make him the first high schooler off the board.
Yet that’s not what stand out the most to me about Griffin. That would be the head he has on his shoulders. He’s smart, driven and easy to like, saying a few times throughout his introductory press conference on Wednesday at PNC Park how much he was looking forward to the work, the challenge and process of playing professional baseball.
Grounded, and then some.
“I’m excited to face some competition,” Griffin said. “It’s going to be really good competition, I’m ready to push myself and see what challenges are going to be in store. I’m ready to attack those and just try to grow as a player. I think being around great athletes and great players can only help me grow as a player.”
General manager Ben Cherington said Griffin will start as a shortstop, but center field will be his secondary position. I’ll be curious to see if he sticks there, where his speed and arm should really play. Regardless, there’s a ton of potential.
Off the field, Griffin reminds me a lot of other types the Pirates have drafted recently, baseball rats and genuinely good kids: Quinn Priester, Nick Gonzales, Termarr Johnson, Henry Davis and Skenes.
Priester is with Boston now. Gonzales has seemingly figured it out. Johnson has shown flashes over the last little bit. Davis has endured more bumps than those on the outside would like, but it’s certainly not for lack of effort. Skenes is ... well, atypical in myriad ways.
I asked Cherington how the Pirates have evaluated the high-character quotient in recent drafts, and he brought up a couple important points. One, the investment. You’re not going to throw that amount of money at someone with questionable off-field stuff — and they haven’t.
They also know there will be more scrutiny and attention. It helps to have someone they think can handle those things.
“Konnor is a kid you want to bet on,” Cherington said. “You feel like whatever his potential is, he’s going to give himself every chance to reach it through the work ethic and his desire and commitment.”
Skenes is the exact same way. Looking back, I can’t believe there was even a debate. You can’t handle yourself better than Skenes has to this point — which now includes welcoming others to the organization. Sidney Crosby-type stuff, honestly.
It’s neat to see. Skenes has publicly become an important face of the Pirates, an instant jolt of attention and the walking embodiment of positive vibes. Why shouldn’t he use his profile for good, to make others feel welcome?
Again, it was only a text message, something that probably took 30 seconds to send. But for the Pirates and two talented kids, it represents so much more.
“He didn’t have to do that,” Griffin said. “He’s a big-time guy now. He’s famous. He’s been famous for a while. It just shows who he is. He pours into the organization, even if I am just a high school kid. That was really cool.”
Jason Mackey: [email protected] and @JMackeyPG on X.