Report: Pirates Sign First-Round Pick to Bigger Deal
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates signed their First Round Draft Pick Konnor Griffin, their star of the 2024 MLB Draft.
The Pirates will reportedly introduce him at a press conference at PNC Park around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, after passing his physical, according to Kevin Gorman of the Tribune-Review. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported that the Pirates signed him for $6,532,025, which is above slot for No. 9 overall at $6,216,600.
The Pirates are expected to sign first-round pick Konnor Griffin today and will introduce him at an 11:30 am news conference at PNC Park. Slot value for the No. 9 pick is $6,216,600 but Griffin is expected to sign for an above-slot bonus. He passed his physical on Tuesday.
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) July 31, 2024
Pirates are introducing first round draft pick Konnor Griffin at PNC Park today.
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) July 31, 2024
Hearing he signed for $6,532,025.
Griffin played for Jackson Preparatory School in Jackson, Miss. and was Perfect Game's No. 1 ranked player in the Class of 2024.
He stands at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds and has the tools to play a number of positions, as he pitched and played at shortstop throughout his high school career.
He had a great senior season, leading Jackson Prep to a 31-4 record, their sixth consecutive and Mississippi record MAIS Class 6A state championship, plus the No. 19 ranking from Perfect Game.
Griffin, who bats right-handed, had a .559 batting average, with 66 hits in 118 at-bats, along with 39 RBIs, 13 doubles, nine home runs and four triples as a senior. He also only struckout 10 times, while earning 47 walks and got hit by pitch five times.
He also showed his prowess in the infield, with a .932 fielding percentage, turning nine double plays and only committing six errors. He also plays in the outfield too, giving the Pirates a number of positions they can put him at to succeed.
Griffin also performed as a right-handed pitcher, a 7-1 record, 81 strikeouts to just 15 walks and a 1.38 ERA in 50.2 innings pitched as a senior.
He did commit to LSU, but the Pirates will do what they can to persuade him to join their organization instead of going to college for the next three years. He also skipped his sophomore season to become a junior, which allowed him to join the Class of 2024.
Griffin was a stellar athlete in high school, leading Jackson Prep in basketball with 12.3 points, 7.4 rebounds per game, blocking 26 shots, and shooting 51.9% from the field. His efforts led Jackson Prep to its second consecutive MAIS Overall Tournament championship this season.
One player on the Pirates that he is comparable too is shortstop Oneil Cruz, who stands at 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, and still excels in the infield even with his staggering size.
The Pirates have a history of taking shortstops in recent First Rounds in the MLB Draft. This includes Termarr Johnson out of Mays High School in Atlanta in 2022, Nick Gonzales out of New Mexico State in 2020, Kevin Newman out of Arizona in 2015 and Cole Tucker out of Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix.
