Pirates Minor League Report: Griffin, Valdez Make All-Star Futures Game

The Pittsburgh Pirates will send a pair of players to the 2025 All-Star Futures game, with shortstop/outfielder Konnor Griffin and outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez, both currently rostered in High-A Greensboro, named to the showcase’s National League team.

Griffin, the team’s 2024 first round pick and No. 2 ranked prospect, is slashing .343/.412/.544 in 67 games between Bradenton and Greensboro this season, adding 12 home runs and 37 stolen bases. He hit a home run on June 27 and logged three hits, all singles, the following day.

Valdez leads the South Atlantic League with 20 home runs after hitting a three-run bomb on Sunday, June 29, and received a promotion to Double-A Altoona this morning per Chase Ford of MiLB Central.

Bubba Chandler and Termarr Johnson, last year’s Futures game selections for the Pirates, didn’t make the cut. Chandler started off the season red hot, earning pitcher of the month honors in the International League (Triple-A) but tapered off since. Although he fanned six batters in a one-run outing on June 28, the hard-throwing righty needed 85 pitches to complete 3.1 innings and walked four batters.

Johnson, meanwhile, hit a home run on June 28 as part of a three hit day.

Other noteworthy performances last week included left-hander Hunter Barco, who fanned 13 batters across 12 innings (two starts) and allowed just one run. 2024 seventh round pick Connor Wietgrefe struck out seven batters across six innings of two run ball for High-A Greensboro on June 29, while West Virginia product Carlson Reed continued his strong return from injury, fanning seven in five innings.

On the other end of the spectrum, Thomas Harrington continued his one step forward, two steps back approach to the season, allowing seven runs in five innings as his ERA ballooned to 6.11.