Konnor Griffin's long list of admirers now includes a two-time MVP.
In the Pirates' 4-3 Grapefruit League victory over the Phillies on Sunday, MLB's No. 1 prospect laced a 109.1 mph line drive to right field in the top of the sixth inning, and Bryce Harper -- who was doing an in-game interview from the dugout at the time -- took notice.
"He's gonna be a stud, man," Harper told NBC Sports Philadelphia's Tom McCarthy and Ruben Amaro Jr.
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Harper's unprompted compliment resembles what many would have said about the eight-time All-Star when he was a prospect. Back then, an 18-year-old Harper was possibly the most-hyped prospect to date. He made his Spring Training debut after just nine professional games and wowed Nationals fans with a .389/.450/.556 slash line across 18 Grapefruit League at-bats.
Griffin, in many ways, is on the same trajectory. After the Pirates selected in the first round of the 2024 Draft, the right-handed shortstop took the Minor Leagues by storm. He rose from Single-A to High-A to Double-A in his first season and combined for 21 homers and 65 stolen bases, while slashing .333/.415/.527 over 122 contests. Much like Harper, Griffin has routinely thrived against older competition. By the time he reached Double-A, the Mississippi native was playing against opponents that were 4.5 years older than him on average.
In Harper's age-19 season, he was sent to Triple-A Syracuse to start the year before earning a big league callup in late April. He would like to see Griffin take a similar path.
"Obviously, I don't play for the Pirates, but I hope they let him move through the organization pretty quickly and let him get to the big leagues," Harper said.
All signs point to Griffin getting that shot. He has already impressed his teammates on the back fields in live batting practice, and he's in line to get plenty of game reps throughout the spring.
As someone who took an accelerated path to the bigs, what would Harper tell the Pirates' phenom?
"Just be yourself and have fun, enjoy the game," Harper said. "He's here for a reason."