'Thought I had me a little single': Latest Griffin-McGonigle clash features robbery

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The ball jumped off Konnor Griffin’s bat looking like another hard-hit line drive for baseball’s top prospect.

“I thought I had me a little single,” the Pirates phenom said afterward.

On the other side of the drive, Kevin McGonigle -- baseball’s No. 2 prospect -- had a different view.

“He kind of topspun it, so I knew I had a shot,” said McGonigle, who leapt and snatched the ball out of the air. “I wasn't sure about the [runner] at first, though. I was ready to throw it, but I looked up, and the umpire's right there.”

It’s a combination that has become increasingly familiar since last summer.

Not only are Griffin and McGonigle as close as you can get in prospect rankings, they’re becoming fast friends through familiarity. The way their careers are playing out, they can’t get away from each other.

“Great guy to talk to,” McGonigle said. “Before the game today, we talked for about 10 minutes, checking in, seeing how each other are doing. It was really nice to get to talk to him again. It's been a little bit.”

They first met during the All-Star Futures Game last July in Atlanta. McGonigle had just been promoted to Double-A Erie. Griffin joined him in the Eastern League in mid-August, after the Pirates promoted him to Altoona.

The SeaWolves and Curve faced each other nine times over a two-week span in September, closing the regular season in Erie, then opening the Eastern League postseason with a best-of-three series that went the distance.

“It was just good baseball, man,” Griffin said. “We were competing. We were fighting for playoff spots. It was high-level baseball.”

It brought out the best in both. The 19-year-old Griffin went 3-for-5 with a solo homer and four RBIs in his first game played against Erie and stayed hot for the rest of the rivalry, hitting safely in all eight games he played.

“You play a team like that [so many times], very talented team, it's kind of good for the defensive side of the game, so you know where to play him,” McGonigle said. “Same thing with the pitching. You know what's coming at you towards the end of the series.

“But the week he had against us was unbelievable. Every time he was up, he was catching barrels. He was definitely a really tough out during that time span. He's always a tough out. He's a great baseball player, great hitter.”

Over those two weeks, Griffin went 15-for-34 (.441) with six RBIs and six runs scored. He would’ve had more if not for McGonigle, who made a ranging play up the middle for a double play in the regular-season finale, then took away an RBI single with a diving stop up the middle in Game 2 of their playoff series, a game the SeaWolves had to win.

“I remember that,” McGonigle said. “And I remember we were joking after that, saying, 'You didn't want that one to get by for me?' And I was messing around and said, 'You had enough hits already.'”

Said Griffin: “It's just how baseball works. If I hit something hard, he's going to try to make a good play on it. So I tried to stay away from that side of the field. He was fun to play against and good competition.”

McGonigle wasn’t bad at the plate himself. He went 8-for-26, but he matched Griffin with six RBIs thanks to two home runs. He also drew seven walks.

“It seemed like he was at second base almost every time he came up to bat. So I got to see him a good bit,” Griffin joked.

Their paths crossed again on Saturday in a Spring Training that could be big for both. Both are non-roster invites and are making their case for Opening Day roster spots and starting jobs at shortstop. Griffin has three homers so far this spring and ripped a line-drive single up the middle Saturday off Tigers starter Casey Mize before McGonigle denied him later.

“You can tell the kid has confidence every time he goes out on that field,” McGonigle said. “He plays a great center field, great shortstop, swings the bat very well, runs the bases really well. He does pretty much everything you need to do; he does really well. It's really special to just sit back and watch him play and compete against him.”

McGonigle is 6-for-17 with two doubles, a triple and five runs scored, though he went 0-for-2 Saturday.

“I think just the natural hitter that he is, his rhythm, he just looks so smooth when he's in the box,” Griffin said. “The Detroit fan base should be pretty excited. It's going to be fun keeping up with him.”

The Tigers and Pirates have a history of prospects who know each other well. Their stateside Minor League affiliates play in the same league at every level but High-A. Tigers stars Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter all have favorite stories of highlight plays Oneil Cruz made against them in Double-A. Mize tossed a 98-pitch no-hitter in Altoona in 2019.

The Tigers and Pirates play two series against each other every season as Interleague rivals. They’ll play three games in Pittsburgh in mid-August, then close the regular season with three games in Detroit. The way Griffin and McGonigle are going, it would be a surprise if they’re not part of those games.

“I wish him nothing but the best,” McGonigle said. “I mean, he's a great baseball player, but an even better human.”

Said Griffin: “When we're on the field, we're competing. We want to beat each other. But off the field, I think it's cool to pull for one another.”