Photo:Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire

BY MARK SIMON

Each of the top six players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list has shortstop as either their sole position or the position they spend the most time playing.

No. 1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin of the Pirates’ Double-A affiliate in Altoona stands out from the others not just because he’s hitting .330 with 16 home runs and 64 stolen bases this season. Griffin’s defensive game also separates him from the rest of the group.

SIS tracks Defensive Runs Saved in the minor leagues in addition to the major leagues, NPB, and KBO. We judge minor leaguers using major league out probabilities and as a result of that, most minor leaguers have negative Runs Saved totals.

But the 19-year-old Griffin is a special case. His 7 Runs Saved at shortstop this season has been surpassed by only one player at the position, Maximo Acosta, who has 8 and was just called up to the majors by the Marlins.

Here’s how Griffin compares within the top six overall prospects in Runs Saved as a shortstop.

Defensive Runs Saved As Shortstop – Top 6 Minor League Prospects

Griffin was a guest on this week’s Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast with me this week. At 6-foot-4 he’s big for a shortstop, but he likes to attack ground balls and field them one-handed. He models his defensive game after Bobby Witt Jr.

“Being aggressive is the best advice I’ve had,” Griffin said. “I would just kind of wait back and in this game you gotta go get it and, you gotta make good throws because the runners are fast and the game speeds up at each level.”

Griffin can get it done at other positions too. He sees himself as a shortstop first and center field as a tool in his toolbox. He has 0 Runs Saved in a handful of innings in center but it looks like a good tool. Take a look at the catch he made as a center fielder against Anthony Volpe in spring training.

“That was a moment I’ll remember forever,” Griffin said. “I was 18 then and [my teammates] saw a kid playing among men. They were excited any time I did anything.”

For now, Griffin is in Double-A, but given how he’s playing and his quick ascent, it’s looking like there will be plenty more celebrating of what Griffin can do in the near future.

You can listen to our interview with Konnor Griffin here.