There has been a lot of buzz this Major League Baseball offseason about Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin. The shortstop is now getting another honor, as an ESPN report ranks Griffin in a tier all by himself.
The ESPN reporter Kiley McDaniel wrote a report about the 100 top prospects in MLB, heading into 2026. Griffin was given a 65 FV Tier rating, and he was the only prospect to be given that honor. He is listed as the top prospect in MLB, and is thought of as a mash-up of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bobby Witt Jr.
“Griffin is the top prospect in baseball by a mile, and I almost put him in the 70 FV tier, which is the highest I'll put any hypothetical prospect, as that means I expect him to be on MVP ballots with 5-plus WAR seasons every year; I'd need a full season in the big leagues to drop a higher grade on a young player,” McDaniel wrote.
The ESPN writer then dropped a few other big names when discussing Griffin's upside.
“If I move him to a 70 FV, that would put Griffin in the conversation with Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and other top prospects of this era,” McDaniel wrote.
Pittsburgh finished the 2025 season with a 71-91 record, which was last in the National League Central. Griffin is seen as the team's top player in the franchise's farm system.
Pirates hope for a big splash in 2026
The Pirates have not made the postseason since the 2015 season, and the team is making a lot of moves to return there in 2026. Pittsburgh traded for Brandon Lowe this offseason, and also signed free-agent Ryan O'Hearn to a deal. The Bucs also pursued several other free agent sluggers, including Kyle Schwarber and Josh Naylor.
Pittsburgh is trying to support their star young pitchers. The Pirates have ace Paul Skenes, who won the 2025 National League Cy Young. McDaniel believes Griffin can join Skenes and others to create excitement.
“Add Griffin to Paul Skenes, with Bubba Chandler also breaking into the big leagues with front-line upside, and you can start to imagine how this team could electrify the Steel City,” McDaniel added.
Pirates fans are excited to see what Griffin can do when he eventually joins the club. He also was listed as the no. 1 MLB prospect in 2026 by MLB Pipeline.
