PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates young star Konnor Griffin hasn’t even played at Triple-A yet, but he’s already received some incredible comparisons at just 19 years old.
Keith Law of The Athletic spoke on the podcast “Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball” and about Griffin being his No. 1 prospect for the start of the 2026 season. Law praised Griffin for improving so much from high school and throughout his first season of professional baseball and even compared him to one of the best to ever play the game of baseball.
“He’s an outlier. He’s so athletic,” Law said. “His understanding of the strike zone, especially for a guy coming out of a Mississippi high school. To see him do this at Low-A, then better High-A, where I first caught him, and then again at Double-A.
“What do we have here? Someone said, ‘Sounds like you’re describing Willie Mays.’ Willie Mays at shortstop!”
Does This Comparison Make Sense?
The comparison for Griffin to Mays should come as an honor, as the ‘Say Hey Kid’ is one of the greatest ever players.
Mays excelled in almost every facet of the game, but especially as a hitter, where there aren’t many that have better all-time stats than him.
Batting Avg.
On-Base %
Slugging %
OPS
.301
.384
.557
.941
Stat
Total
MLB All-Time Ranking
WAR (Position Player)
156.2
3rd
Runs
2,068
7th
Hits
3.293
13th
Doubles
525
47th
Triples
141
Tied-63rd
Home Runs
660
6th
RBI
1,909
12th
Walk/Strikeout
1,468/1,526
22nd/78th
Steals
339
124th
He earned 20 straight All-Star nods from 1954-73, won National League MVP twice (1954, 1965), 1951 NL Rookie of the Year, 12-time consecutive Gold Glove Award winner (1954-65), 1954 NL Batting Champion (.345), four-time NL Home Run leader (1955, 1962, 1964-65), plus a four-time consecutive NL stolen base leader (1956-59).
2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game — Willie Mays takes a seat to go around the field in a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado on July 8, 2007. | Robert Hanashiro / USA TODAY NETWORK
Griffin isn’t quite as good as Mays, yet, but his first season showed that he could end up becoming one of the better players in all of baseball in the near future.
Batting Avg.
On-Base %
Slugging %
OPS
.333
.415
.527
.942
Hits
Doubles
Home Runs
RBI
BB/K
161
23
21
94
50/122
Griffin ranked amongst the best players in the minor leagues, including second in runs scored, fourth in batting average, fifth in hits, tied for seventh in RBI and tied for eighth in stolen bases, with an 65 stolen bases in 78 attempts.
He led all of minor league baseball with 117 runs scored and the 19-year old became the first teenage draftee to have a 20-40 season, finishing with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases. He was also the first minor league player to have a 20-60 season since 1982.
Like Mays, Griffin also won a number of awards for his play, with Baseball America naming him their Minor League Player of the Year Award and MLB Pipeline naming him their Hitting Prospect of the Year and Debut of the Year.
Griffin can also hit for contact and power, has great speed like Mays, and has a a comparable slash line, albeit, there are great differences between the major leagues and the minor leagues.
One aspect Griffin will look to improve upon is his strikeout rate, 25.2%, next season, but aside from that, it’s understandable why people see him as a generational talent.
Where They Differ, But Are Also Similar
Griffin has a shot at earning the Opening Day spot at shortstop for the Pirates, which contrasts with Mays, who was a great defensive center fielder.
He did play some center field in 2025, but his work at shortstop was impressive, earning an MiLB Gold Glove award.
Griffin is quite big for a shortstop, standing 6-foot-4, and 225 pounds, but has no trouble maneuvering, making great throws and using his speed to aid in his defense, with some great catches as well.
Jul 12, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; National League Konnor Griffin (24) throws the ball during the second inning against American League at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Mays is well known for his defensive attributes, but more so for ‘The Catch’, when he made an over the shoulder grab more than 90 feet from his starting position at the Polo Grounds in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.
Law praised Griffin for his fielding and the progression he’s made at the position, which gives him a shot to play for the Pirates early on.
“I just talked to a pro scout who saw him earlier in the year and said, ‘Center field? This guy’s an elite defensive shortstop now, which is basically what I saw. You don’t see guys his size who move that well,” Law said.
“Not just in terms of pure running speed, generally when you talk about running speed, sprint speed or any other measurement, it’s under way. This is a guy whose first step is so quick and he’s moving in both directions and he’s got a cannon of an arm.
“Looks like he could play shortstop in the major leagues, which sounds like a bonkers statement to make about a guy, who at the time I had seen him, was 12 months out of high school when I saw him, maximum.”