Top Prospect Konnor Griffin Named Pirates Minor-League Player of the Year; Chandler Named Top Pitcher
Konnor Griffin has been named the recipient of the 2025 Honus Wagner Player of the Year.
Griffin, who ascended to being named the top prospect in baseball a year after the Pirates selected him with the ninth pick in the 2024 draft, split the 2025 season — his first as a professional — between three levels.
The 19-year-old started the season with Low-A Bradenton, where he hit .338 with a .932 OPS, 10 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 36 RBI and 26 stolen bases.
Griffin’s performance led to a promotion to High-A Greensboro, where he continued to shine. In 51 games with the Grasshoppers, Griffin slashed .325/.432/.510 with 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 36 RBI and 33 steals. But Griffin’s season didn’t end with Greensboro.
The Pirates gave Griffin yet another promotion to Double-A Altoona in the middle of August, where he helped lead the Curve to the Eastern League playoffs. In 21 games with Altoona, Griffin slashed .337/.418/.542 and slugged five home runs with 22 RBI and six stolen bases.
Griffin’s 65 stolen bases were the most by a Pirates minor-leaguer since Pedro Powell had 67 in 2007. He finished second among full-time minor-leaguers with 117 runs scored and was fourth in batting, fifth in hits and total bases, seventh in OPS, tied for seventh in RBI and eighth in stolen bases.
In addition to his jaw-dropping offensive output and baserunning, Griffin was named the Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski Defender of the Year. Griffin totaled 89 games at shortstop, where he made just seven errors in 757 innings and had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and an assist in 15 games in center field.
Bubba Chandler, meanwhile earned the Bob Friend Pitcher of the Year award.
Chandler began the season with Triple-A Indianapolis, where he went 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA in 24 starts and struck out 121 batters in 100 innings. His 121 strikeouts were the second-most in the Pirates’ system in 2025.
The Pirates promoted Chandler to the big leagues on Aug. 22 and the right-hander went 4-1 with a 4.02 ERA and one save in seven appearances/four starts.
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