Pirates Top Hitting Prospects Passing Real Test With Double-A Altoona
A scout once told me to temper expectations for Pittsburgh Pirates position-player prospects until they reach Double-A Altoona. I’ve never forgotten that.
The reasoning makes sense. Typically, the competition in the rookie leagues and the Florida State League – home of the Low-A Bradenton Marauders – isn’t consistently challenging.
The South Atlantic League – where the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers compete – is one of the most notoriously hitter-friendly environments in the sport.
I traveled to Altoona in August to watch Konnor Griffin’s Double-A debut. Before the game, I asked fellow Pirates prospect Termarr Johnson about the transition from Greensboro to Altoona.
“It’s a little bit different,” he said. “A lot of hits that you would get or home runs that you would get in Greensboro, you don’t get them here.”
Johnson followed by saying how the jump up to the Eastern League has benefited him and has taught him how to be a different and more complete hitter, which adds even more assurance that what the scout told me is accurate.
It’s not uncommon to see a prospect fizzle out once they reach the Curve, whether due to a tougher environment or simply improved competition.
But the good news for the Pirates is that two of their top hitting prospects have passed the test in Double-A.
Griffin breezed through Bradenton and Greensboro and earned his promotion to the Curve after only 101 games. His numbers in Altoona were just as good as they were at each of his first two stops, and it’s why the Pirates, as expected, named him their 2025 Honus Wagner Player of the Year.
Despite being just 19 years old when he reached Double-A, Griffin slashed .337/.418/.542 with five home runs, 22 RBI and six stolen bases in 21 games.
“There are a lot of guys that are four, five years older than me. So I’m playing with grown men and you got to kind of adapt to it a little bit,” Griffin explained. “At the same time, I’m just going to continue being who I am. I have a lot of fun when I’m at the ballpark and I feel like I grew every day.”
There was little doubt in my mind — or anyone’s for that matter — that Griffin would have any problems competing in Double-A, but the same can’t be said about everyone.
While Griffin was named the organization’s minor-league player of the year, fellow prospect Esmerlyn Valdez was awarded the Willie Stargell Slugger of the Year.
Valdez began the season with High-A Greensboro and hit .303 with a .977 OPS, 18 doubles, 20 home runs and 57 RBI in 72 games.
The Pirates promoted the 21-year-old to Altoona at the start of July and he continued to have success. In 51 games after the promotion, Valdez slashed .260/.363/.409 with seven doubles, six home runs, 29 RBI and a 126 wRC+.
“This is the first time in all of the years that I’ve played that I got promoted in the middle of the season,” Valdez explained through interpreter Juan Guerra. “At the beginning, I felt a little bit weird, but I was able to make the adjustment.”
Given what each of them showed with Altoona in 2025, both Griffin and Valdez are in position to reach the big leagues at some point in 2025.
Considering how abysmal the Pirates’ offense was last season, they will be counting on guys like Griffin, Valdez and others to help remedy those woes.
If their performance in Double-A is any indication of how they will perform as big-leaguers, that lowly offense will be getting two boosts in short order.
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It is definitely encouraging what those 2 have done at AA thus far, but I hope Termarr Johnson can join the conversation in 2026. He was drafted with a really high pedigree, and I don’t want to think we whiffed on him. He’s still young, so I hope he matures into a decent hitter of some profile. He has a great eye, so his OBP should be strong. I think he needs to drop the leg kick and quit trying to hit for power. Let it come naturally. He’s only like 5’8″. He was drafted with an off-the-chart hit tool.