Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin has been compared to tons of MLB superstars past and present this spring, from Willie Mays and Cal Ripken Jr. to Mike Trout and Bryce Harper.
In other words, there’s a lot of pressure on Griffin right now. That’s what happens when you’re the consensus top prospect in baseball.
One current player Griffin’s often been compared to is Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Last week, MLB Pipeline senior writer Jim Callis made that comparison during his appearance on MLB Network.
“Griffin might be a more physical Bobby Witt Jr., and Kevin McGonigle might be the next Chase Utley,” Callis said of their Spring Breakout showdown.
That’s high praise, as Witt has immediately established himself as one of the best players in baseball with the Royals. He’s notched at least 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in all four of his Major League seasons thus far, making two All-Star teams, winning two Gold Gloves and earning three straight top 10 AL MVP finishes along the way.
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Like Griffin, Witt was a first-round draft pick straight out of high school. Unlike Griffin, however, he was 21 before he debuted, whereas Griffin could debut before his 20th birthday in April if he makes the Opening Day roster.
Regardless, it’s still an exciting comparison. If Griffin turns out to be another version of Witt or even better, Pirates fans will be thrilled.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sportsnetpittsburgh.com ’
