Altoona Curve’s Konnor Griffin named 2025 Minor League Player of the Year
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Baseball America announced Monday that Konnor Griffin, the No. 1 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, was named its Minor League Player of the Year for the 2025 season.
He is just the second Pirates Minor League player to ever win the award that was established in 1981, joining pitcher Mike Bielecki, who earned the title in 1984. Griffin is the first Altoona Curve player to be named Player of the Year by Baseball America.
Griffin was drafted ninth overall by the Pirates in 2024 out of Jackson Prep High School in Mississippi. In 2025, he ranked among all full season minor league players in runs scored (second, 117), stolen bases (tie eighth, 65), hits (fifth, 161), runs batted in (tie seventh, 94), and batting average. (fourth, .333).
His .333 batting average is the highest by a teenager in the full season Minor Leagues since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit .382 in 2018. Over the last 20 minor league seasons, he is the only player to finish a season with a .300 or better batting average, 20-plus home runs, 60-plus stolen bases and 100-plus runs scored.
Griffin also committed just seven errors in 89 games at shortstop and did not commit an error in his 15 games played in center field.
Griffin's season began with the Bradenton Marauders, where he batted .338 with 21 extra-base hits, 36 RBIs and 26 stolen bases in 50 games. The 19-year-old shortstop joined the Greensboro Grasshoppers on June 10 where he played 51 games and batted .325 with 20 extra-base hits and 33 stolen bases and a .432 on-base percentage.
Griffin continued to shine at Double-A, batting .337 with a .960 OPS and 28 hits in 21 games played in the regular season. He reached base in 19-of-21 regular season games, with hits in 18 of them. In the postseason, Griffin batted .600 (6-for-10) with a double, three walks and two RBIs in three games played.
GM optimistic
PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh general manager Ben Cherington expects to return in 2026 despite the Pirates having losing seasons during each of his six years on the job.
Cherington said Saturday that Pirates owner Bob Nutting and team president Travis Williams have not given any indication that he might be fired.
"We talk all the time. Haven't heard anything to the contrary," Cherington said before the Pirates hosted the Athletics. "I don't know if any of us ... ever have full assurance of anything, but I want to help the Pirates win more games. That's it. I don't do the job because of the job. I do the job because I want to be a part of making this thing work."
The Pirates have never revealed Cherington's contract status, but it is believed he is signed through 2026 or 2027.
Cherington praised manager Don Kelly, who was promoted from bench coach when Derek Shelton was fired on May 8. The Pirates were 12-26 when Kelly took over. His contract expires at the end of the season.
"My view of the job that Donnie's done is one that's not surprising to me," Cherington said. "I had confidence when he took the job in May that he would do a really good job. He's an excellent communicator. He's dogged in his approach to the job. He has a high self belief. He believes in people."