It shouldn’t be taken for granted just how dominant Paul Skenes has been since entering MLB. In many eyes, he’s the best pitcher in baseball at only 23 years old. He’s an untouchable asset, yet trade rumors have already surfaced, thanks to the Pittsburgh Pirates not playing up to his level through two seasons.
A few moves this offseason should improve the team a bit, but there isn’t that much hope heading into 2026. That is, until now. MLB Pipeline published their Top 100 prospects rankings this week, and Pirates minor leaguer Konnor Griffin comes in at first overall. But there’s more to the list than meets the eyes.
Konnor Griffin ranked as No. 1 prospect in baseball, Pirates have 5 players in MLB Pipeline Top 100
It’s not just Griffin that signals a strong future for the Pirates. The Top 100 prospects list has five Pirates players in total. Pittsburgh’s 318 prospect points rank second in all of MLB, tilted heavily by Griffin being first overall. But three other prospects are in the Top 50, with the last one coming in at No. 96.
- 1) Konnor Griffin, SS
- 11) Bubba Chandler, RHP
- 29) Seth Hernandez, RHP
- 50) Edward Florentino, OF
- 96) Hunter Barco, LHP
That’s a strong showing for a Pirates franchise that needs young, talented players to form a core for many years to come alongside Skenes. There has been a lot of talk about Skenes potentially angling his way out of Pittsburgh if the franchise continues to struggle. Pittsburgh hasn’t won over 76 games since 2018 and hasn’t made the postseason since 2015.
With Skenes winning Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young in back-to-back seasons, he’s setting himself up for a historic contract. Winning is what matters most to Skenes, but he has made it clear that he wants to do it in Pittsburgh. Perhaps he sees a light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to the upcoming prospects.
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