Pirates Minor League Report: Konnor Griffin Stays Scorching Hot, Nick Yorke Pushes for Promotion

Pittsburgh Pirates 2024 first-round pick Konnor Griffin is on a tear of late with the Bradenton Marauders.

Griffin extended his hitting streak to nine game and is slashing .525/.535/.750 with three double, two home runs, nine RBI and six steals.

The 19-year-old ranks third in the Florida State League with a .324 batting average, seven home runs and a .547 slugging percentage. He leads the FSL in hits (45) total bases (76) and runs (34) is tied for second with 16 extra-base hits and is in the top 10 with 24 RBI and a .920 OPS.

The Pirates selected Griffin with the ninth pick in last year’s draft, and the shortstop/center fielder is the organization’s second-best prospect and 37th overall on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 list.

Nick Yorke, who played 11 games with the Pirates at the end of last season, is making a push to add to his big-league resumé.

The 23-year-old Yorke is batting .414 (24 for 58) with a 1.165 OPS, four doubles, a triple, three home runs and eight RBI in 18 games dating back to Apr. 25.

Given the Pirates’ season-long offensive struggles, Yorke should be under consideration to help provide a spark. After missing some time early in the season due to a shoulder issue, Yorke has shaken off a slow start.

Elsewhere, Mitch Jebb continued his excellent month of May by going 11 for 17 (.647) with a double, a triple and four RBI over his last four games. The 23-year-old leads Double-A with 23 hits this month and his .371 batting average in May ranks fifth.

At High-A Greensboro, outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez recorded home runs in three-straight games from May 13-15. He leads the South Atlantic League with 11 homers this season and is tied for first with 32 RBI. The 21-year-old also ranks second in hits (45), slugging (.611) and OPS (.992).

Pittsburgh’s minor league system has the seventh-best winning percentage (.556) among all organizations. The big-league team? Not quite as successful.