Pittsburgh Pirates Feature Two Prospects on Just Baseball’s Top 100

This season, things have been pretty bleak for the Pittsburgh Pirates. As of the release of Just Baseball’s new Top 100, the club sat at just 22-39, a record far from what fans had hoped to see ahead of the season. We’ve already seen plenty of controversies both on and off the field, as it’s been a disastrous start overall.

Since taking over, General Manager Ben Cherington has made it his focus to identify and develop front-line starting pitching. This has been evident in previous editions of the Just Baseball Top 100, with arms such as Paul Skenes, Thomas Harrington, Braxton Ashcraft, Jared Jones, Bubba Chandler, and more all being featured at one point.

The only negative to this approach has been that the club has significantly struggled to develop offensive help. Now that they have one of the best rotations in the sport, the Pirates have almost no offensive weapons to help them. Ranking above only the Colorado Rockies in team wRC+, this has been an obvious flaw for the club.

Due to their early struggles, fans have looked to the future in order to find some hope as well. Luckily, although the Just Baseball Top 100 ranks just two members of the club, both of these players sit inside the top 20. Fans will also be happy to see a position player on this list, with hopes that their offense will have help shortly.

Despite just two Pirates being featured on this list, both of these players will have huge impacts on the team in the future. Without further ado, let’s dive in and meet these players.

Click on the links on each player’s name to view their full scouting report.

18. OF/SS Konnor Griffin (Preseason Rank: 39)

Affiliate: Low-A Bradenton

When the Pirates selected Konnor Griffin with the ninth pick in last year’s draft, many people suggested that they landed the best prep player in the class. With the class being loaded with college talents, Griffin was often overlooked in these rankings.

However, nearly one season later, Konnor Griffin has fully established himself as one of the top players from the 2024 draft class. After impressing many people with his Spring Training performances against big-league arms, it was clear his approach and offensive profile were both incredibly advanced for his age.

Griffin is one of the bigger risers on our top 100, as he shot up 21 spots on the board. In this process, he landed himself inside the top 20 prospects in the sport, an incredibly impressive accomplishment for a 19-year-old.

Griffin is currently playing very well for the Low-A Bradenton Marauders, regularly posting eye-popping exit velocities.

In just 46 games, Griffin has hit eight homers, slashed .317/.376/.519 with a .415 wOBA and a 145 wRC+. This level of production has been very impressive, assisting in his prospect ranking.

He’s already had eight games with three or more hits, as he feels unstoppable at the plate. Not only this, but Griffin has stolen 23 bags, showcasing a potential 70-80 grade run tool in the process.

Griffin still has a little work to do on the plate discipline side of things; however, what we’ve seen so far hasn’t been bad by any means. Griffin is currently walking just over 6% of the time as opposed to a 23.2% strikeout rate, marks that are better for a lot of players his age.

If Griffin continues to flash his elite tools, he could easily find himself on the fast track to the Major Leagues. It’s a testament to his performance that we’re already having this conversation, but it’s a very realistic possibility with how he’s played so far.

2. RHP Bubba Chandler (Preseason Rank: 20)

Affiliate: Triple-A Indianapolis

Bubba Chandler was selected by the Pirates in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft, a year the team possessed the first overall pick. At that point, who could’ve guessed that Chandler could easily become their best pick from that draft class?

When watching Bubba Chandler pitch, it’s easy to see just why he was our second-ranked prospect and top-ranked starting pitcher in this edition of the Just Baseball Top 100. He possesses an elite four-seam fastball, a pitch that he can blow past hitters at triple digits.

Chandler is truly on the brink of making his MLB debut, as he’s running out of things to prove at the Triple-A level. Through 11 starts this year, Chandler has pitched to a 2.03 ERA, striking out nearly 70 batters in 48.2 innings pitched. This is good for a strikeout rate of 35%, a tremendous mark.

In addition to his 70-grade, unicorn fastball, Chandler has three other plus offerings. His slider has blossomed into a very good strikeout pitch, almost playing like a hard cutter at times.

His changeup is one of the best on this list, as it has some devastating arm-side movement. He’s also mixed in a decent curveball, which has grown over the last season.

There’s still some concern around whether Chandler will consistently have good command, as he’s struggled to avoid walks this season. He’s currently walking nearly 11% of opposing hitters, which can be concerning. If he continues to allow free passes, he’ll consistently have to pitch under pressure.

However, Chandler has thrived despite this, as he’s stranded nearly 85% of batters on base. This is a very, very good number, showing his ability to work around trouble on the bases.

Chandler has as much potential as any pitcher on our top 100, as he has the potential to throw behind Paul Skenes in the rotation as the Pirates’ number two arm. If all goes to plan, he’ll make his MLB debut in the coming months.