There isn’t much more you could ask from Konnor Griffin after he catapulted himself to No. 1 prospect status in his first pro season. But the Pirates phenom delivered in a big way anyway on Friday night, hitting his first two Double-A homers.
Griffin added a single that plated a pair to bring his evening’s RBI total to a career-high seven. The offensive onslaught was bolstered by Nick Cimillo’s cycle, the club’s first since 2014 and second in franchise history. Altoona coasted to a 14-3 win over Harrisburg at FNB Field.
The first homer came in the fifth inning off right-hander Thomas Schultz with two runners on, stretching the Curve’s lead to seven. Griffin capped off his night with his second homer in the ninth inning off Branden Boissiere, a position player, but they all look the same on the stat sheet. His seven RBIs were the most by an Altoona player since 2016.
“Sticking to the plan I’ve had all year,” Griffin said of his approach. “Being aggressive, trying to be on time for fastballs and catch some mistakes out front and hit them hard.”
You’d be hard pressed to find any flaws in Griffin’s plan as he has waltzed from Single-A to High-A to Double-A in the span of a year, finding success at every level. The Pirates’ 2024 first-round pick batted over .300 with Bradenton and Greensboro, earning a spot on the National League roster in the All-Star Futures Game in the process. On Aug. 18, the 19-year-old made the move to Double-A — and he hasn’t missed a beat.
“I believe that it was the right time. God has me on the right path and it was the right time to get to Double-A,” Griffin said of his promotion. “I continue to play the same game and I’m having fun.”
In the nine games since his promotion, Griffin is batting .353. He has a hit in all but two of those games and now has an RBI in five straight games. In a way, his first (and second) Double-A homers were just the cherry on top of an already dominant stretch.
During this run, Griffin hasn’t had to look very far down the lineup or across the field to find someone who can relate to the pressures of prospectdom. The other half of his one-two punch atop the Altoona lineup — and double-play partner — is Termarr Johnson, the Pirates’ No. 6 prospect.
“It’s been awesome. Termarr brings a lot of energy. He’s a great player and I’m thankful to be out there every day with him,” Griffin said. “He makes everybody better around him. He’s super encouraging and he’s going to be a superstar one day.”
A fellow first-rounder who joined the organization at age 18, Johnson is no stranger to the tough lessons learned in a debut pro season.
“He reminds me every day to continue to play my game and be myself,” Griffin said.
And while nights like Friday help fuel a long season, Griffin knows that as the calendar flips to September, it’s crucial to carry the momentum into October and beyond.
“I’m eager for the offseason to be here just to continue to work. I know I have a lot to continue to do and to work on,” Griffin said. “I’m going to be able to look back on this year and enjoy it, but continue to keep my head down and keep working.”
