00:00.841 --> 00:03.122 [SPEAKER_04]: Big day for Baseball America, Hachi.

00:03.142 --> 00:08.845 [SPEAKER_04]: It's got to be Brown JJ Cooper in Jeff Fonts with you and it's coming up in several minutes.

00:09.325 --> 00:15.788 [SPEAKER_04]: We will have the official announcement of the minor league player of the year from Baseball America.

00:16.048 --> 00:20.090 [SPEAKER_04]: JJ Cooper will announce it and then we'll actually bring that special guest to that winner.

00:20.590 --> 00:24.434 [SPEAKER_04]: on the show live also a quick note on Tuesday.

00:24.594 --> 00:28.458 [SPEAKER_04]: We'll learn the picture of the year in the minor leagues from Baseball America.

00:28.499 --> 00:32.843 [SPEAKER_04]: So stay tuned on all the socials and the website for that news come in your way too.

00:32.923 --> 00:36.567 [SPEAKER_04]: But let's hit first move to give love to a number of players across different organizations.

00:40.976 --> 00:45.741 [SPEAKER_04]: JJ, what we do know are minor league players of the year per organization.

00:45.962 --> 00:51.668 [SPEAKER_04]: And for people that are watching right now, they can actually see team by team who won the award.

00:51.788 --> 00:53.430 [SPEAKER_04]: So give us the best of this.

00:54.731 --> 00:57.034 [SPEAKER_01]: So there are years that we have,

00:57.540 --> 01:11.978 [SPEAKER_01]: A bounty of candidates for player of the year, and there are years where you say, okay, well, we're picking one of these, whether it is a great candidate or not, and this definitely filled, you know, was 100% or those years like, whoa, we've got multiple players here who could really be solid candidates.

01:12.739 --> 01:16.223 [SPEAKER_01]: To just take a couple of examples, Justin Crawford, uh,

01:16.788 --> 01:19.771 [SPEAKER_01]: I know that there are people who criticize how much he hits him on the ground.

01:20.172 --> 01:26.919 [SPEAKER_01]: I will also note, hitting 334 this year, hitting 300 pretty much everywhere he's ever played is really notable.

01:26.980 --> 01:34.067 [SPEAKER_01]: JJ Weatherhold had a great year, you know, Hazard's mod A was up to double A and play off for Rolex.

01:34.768 --> 01:44.111 [SPEAKER_01]: as a, you know, one of the youngest players like Player Who would have been very comfortable to be in class A. But I do want to really focus on Kevin McGonagall is one that that really does stand out.

01:44.151 --> 01:47.612 [SPEAKER_01]: Kevin McGonagall, I think it a lot of years would be our minor league player of the year.

01:48.112 --> 01:50.273 [SPEAKER_01]: We like to have a prospect component to this.

01:50.433 --> 01:58.795 [SPEAKER_01]: We want our minor league player of the year to be one that when you look at it down the road years from now, you've kind of nodured ahead, not you go, who was that guy.

01:59.175 --> 02:00.636 [SPEAKER_01]: And thankfully over the years, we've been doing

02:04.710 --> 02:07.212 [SPEAKER_01]: Derek Geter and Frank Thomas and Joe Mower.

02:07.232 --> 02:15.901 [SPEAKER_01]: We've got guys like Mike Trout who, you know, whatever he does the rest of his career is going to be a whole thing or we've got current stars like Vladimir Gerard Jr.

02:15.961 --> 02:17.682 [SPEAKER_01]: Ronald Akunia, Bobby Witt Jr.

02:17.722 --> 02:18.403 [SPEAKER_01]: Gunner Henderson.

02:19.276 --> 02:22.879 [SPEAKER_01]: I would say that, you know, like, mechanical kind of checks all those boxes.

02:22.919 --> 02:25.400 [SPEAKER_01]: He had production, he did at multiple levels.

02:25.901 --> 02:31.705 [SPEAKER_01]: He hit for average, he got on base, he showed surprising, you know, I'd say improved power this year.

02:32.345 --> 02:37.149 [SPEAKER_01]: And Jeff, I kind of want to bring you on this because you were watching him in the playoffs last week.

02:37.769 --> 02:47.016 [SPEAKER_01]: You know, we just keep talking about just how good mechanical's hit tool is, how kind of he, he is, he kind of really feels like he's advanced for his age, but what's it out to you?

02:48.598 --> 02:55.723 [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I think it's just, you know, the way that he takes it that's there's obviously a plan in an approach.

02:55.863 --> 02:56.964 [SPEAKER_03]: He doesn't get out of that.

02:56.984 --> 03:00.006 [SPEAKER_03]: You know, it's very, very professional at that.

03:00.026 --> 03:03.328 [SPEAKER_03]: You can't sort of beat him with one particular hole in a swing.

03:03.828 --> 03:06.930 [SPEAKER_03]: Even if he misses something sort of the first time he sees you.

03:07.431 --> 03:14.575 [SPEAKER_03]: If you try that same location that same pitch, he's probably going to hit that or at least foul it off and make a challenge him again.

03:16.036 --> 03:36.323 [SPEAKER_03]: And I think that's always the big difference for me when you start to see good prospects versus the great prospects where you say all right I think this guy is already ready for the big leagues and you know a year from now is really going to be ready for the big leagues You know health permitting and I think you know McGonagled does all of the little things really well he makes a lot of contact.

03:36.343 --> 03:36.963 [SPEAKER_03]: There's no where

03:37.583 --> 03:44.649 [SPEAKER_03]: In the zone that you can beat him, he's not somebody that's going to be prone to a lot of chases and expanding the zone with regularity.

03:45.169 --> 03:57.418 [SPEAKER_03]: He knows how to elevate the ball, particularly to his pull side, which for a smaller guy like Kevin McGonagall, who does, you know, for the type of hitter he is and for his size, does hit the ball pretty hard.

03:57.458 --> 04:02.022 [SPEAKER_03]: It's above average EVs based on major league standards, but, you know,

04:02.682 --> 04:18.399 [SPEAKER_03]: I've had this conversation with Kevin, with Kevin McGonagall and Charles Pazon and some of these other guys being able to optimize to the pulse side when you are a smaller guy need to get the most out of your power at all times really does allow you to tap into more home run power in a big way.

04:18.980 --> 04:21.142 [SPEAKER_03]: And I think that's something he figured out very early.

04:21.622 --> 04:30.791 [SPEAKER_03]: There's a lot of guys in the miners that are very good hitters that are going to be playing in the big leagues next year and playing substantial roles that haven't figured out how to pull the ball in the air consistently.

04:30.811 --> 04:42.341 [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, Roman Anthony, you know, obviously their physical tools are different, but Roman Anthony is one, for example, that, you know, had a lot of success in the big leagues, obviously ended up getting hurt, but he's still not a guy that's consistently pulling the ball in the air.

04:42.361 --> 04:45.424 [SPEAKER_03]: So I think there are a lot of things that Kevin McGonigal really does while at the plate.

04:46.024 --> 04:48.605 [SPEAKER_03]: defensively, he plays a solid shortstop.

04:48.645 --> 04:49.925 [SPEAKER_03]: I think he's going to stick in the infield.

04:50.126 --> 04:53.787 [SPEAKER_03]: It's probably going to be more second or third base and more than likely not a shortstop long term.

04:55.207 --> 05:00.990 [SPEAKER_01]: The thing that you hit on it that about his ability to make adjustments, I think you were watching this game when like I was.

05:01.630 --> 05:12.374 [SPEAKER_01]: But the memory I will have of Kevin McGonagal season that will stick with me for years is he was facing Harlan Susanna, who the national's top pitching prospect or one of their top pretty, they got a several.

05:12.434 --> 05:14.415 [SPEAKER_01]: But national's fireballing

05:16.581 --> 05:19.424 [SPEAKER_01]: 101, you know, good breaking ball to go with it.

05:20.184 --> 05:23.127 [SPEAKER_01]: First, at bat from a gonical Susanna got him.

05:23.247 --> 05:26.029 [SPEAKER_01]: Carlos Susanna strikes him out, sends him back to the dugout.

05:27.050 --> 05:28.931 [SPEAKER_01]: Second at bat, I think it was 101.

05:29.091 --> 05:33.215 [SPEAKER_01]: It was above 101 if I remember correctly kind of in on him.

05:33.235 --> 05:37.778 [SPEAKER_01]: And Kevin Magonical hit one of the longest homeruns that you will ever see.

05:38.339 --> 05:41.581 [SPEAKER_01]: And it was the perfect example of what Jeff just said there, which is,

05:42.643 --> 05:49.760 [SPEAKER_01]: If you beat Kevin and God are going one time, one way, don't just think that you can do that again, because

05:50.177 --> 05:51.618 [SPEAKER_01]: He has that barrel control.

05:51.658 --> 05:54.560 [SPEAKER_01]: He has that strike zone covers, that plate coverage.

05:54.980 --> 06:00.404 [SPEAKER_01]: He has the ability to make those adjustments where you might have won one time that he can win the next time.

06:00.524 --> 06:04.487 [SPEAKER_01]: And then he kind of puts that little bit of fear in your head of like way to second.

06:04.587 --> 06:06.308 [SPEAKER_01]: He wasn't supposed to be able to hit that pitch.

06:06.929 --> 06:07.769 [SPEAKER_01]: Now what do I do?

06:08.109 --> 06:13.253 [SPEAKER_01]: Kevin McGonagall seems like did that pretty much as much as almost anyone I can think of in the minor this year.

06:13.653 --> 06:15.875 [SPEAKER_01]: But that home run Jeff was one that just,

06:20.113 --> 06:24.635 [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I think it's like one of those moments where you're like, okay, like, this is this is special.

06:24.675 --> 06:29.957 [SPEAKER_03]: And I remember one of few seasons ago, and now this picture has come back into the news because he's finally healthy.

06:29.977 --> 06:35.599 [SPEAKER_03]: It might have been the last game of Spino pitched, but do you remember watching a few years ago where Gunner Henderson got beat by a Spino?

06:35.639 --> 06:41.361 [SPEAKER_03]: I think in the first inning, similar circumstances, came back second at bat and hit like an absolute bomb.

06:41.841 --> 06:44.942 [SPEAKER_03]: And these were, you know, same thing with like Susanna, like one of the hardest throwing

06:49.304 --> 06:59.953 [SPEAKER_03]: And I think it's like you kind of see that with these special upper echelon upper tier prospects and it's what separates them very clearly from the rest of the field.

07:00.273 --> 07:10.021 [SPEAKER_03]: And I think it's one of the reasons that we're always pretty successful with the guys that we put in the top three to five on our offseason top or 100 list because those guys kind of stand out.

07:10.902 --> 07:23.715 [SPEAKER_04]: All right, let me take you to Joan and Tom for the New York Mets, JJ I want to ask you about him as we look back at the list, like you said, many really exceptional performances this season.

07:23.735 --> 07:29.921 [SPEAKER_04]: I want to bring him up because not only did he dominate in the minor leagues, we live in a world

07:35.001 --> 07:35.821 [SPEAKER_04]: They're not going to wait.

07:36.461 --> 07:43.483 [SPEAKER_04]: We've gotten rid of at least some service time issues, right, with teams, especially the major one to hold guys back.

07:44.223 --> 07:45.923 [SPEAKER_04]: And this isn't that case anyway.

07:46.203 --> 07:48.044 [SPEAKER_04]: The meds were like, holy crap.

07:48.304 --> 07:56.165 [SPEAKER_04]: We were not prepared on the starting rotation front, bring up all the youngsters, and that included Jonah Tong who dominated in the minor leagues.

07:56.205 --> 08:03.307 [SPEAKER_04]: Your thoughts on what he did and how he progressed to get himself to this point where he is a big swing and misguide in his first several starts with the meds.

08:04.508 --> 08:08.911 [SPEAKER_01]: it's an exceptional season like when you talk about pitching seasons in the 21st century.

08:09.772 --> 08:18.019 [SPEAKER_01]: I think this one stacks up with most of the best ones and I would not say that like just in Verlander had a year with a 1-2-9 ERA.

08:18.039 --> 08:24.804 [SPEAKER_01]: There was Christian Havier who had a year where he led the miners in a bonus batting average and ERA.

08:24.864 --> 08:25.985 [SPEAKER_01]: Well, Jonah Tong this year,

08:26.485 --> 08:28.006 [SPEAKER_01]: And I got a story up at Baseball America.

08:28.026 --> 08:30.627 [SPEAKER_01]: We'll talk about that maybe a little bit later.

08:30.667 --> 08:32.469 [SPEAKER_01]: But for our standards, he's a qualifier.

08:33.129 --> 08:35.670 [SPEAKER_01]: And Jonah Tong led the miners in ERA.

08:35.810 --> 08:37.351 [SPEAKER_01]: He led the miners and strikeouts.

08:37.491 --> 08:40.673 [SPEAKER_01]: He led the miners in a bonus average.

08:40.713 --> 08:41.754 [SPEAKER_01]: And he was second-in-wit.

08:43.475 --> 08:46.897 [SPEAKER_01]: Best-in-walked strikeout to walk a percentage as well.

08:48.234 --> 08:49.976 [SPEAKER_01]: It's an exceptional season.

08:50.136 --> 08:52.499 [SPEAKER_01]: It's a season where I'm the minor league side.

08:52.779 --> 08:54.901 [SPEAKER_01]: There's really nothing to complain about there.

08:55.502 --> 08:57.284 [SPEAKER_01]: His first three starts of the year.

08:57.504 --> 08:57.945 [SPEAKER_01]: He gave up.

08:57.985 --> 08:59.967 [SPEAKER_01]: I think it was eight runs and his first three starts.

09:00.487 --> 09:04.372 [SPEAKER_01]: He didn't give up three runs in an halting over the remainder of his minor league time.

09:04.412 --> 09:05.413 [SPEAKER_01]: Dig up the road to the majors.

09:06.013 --> 09:07.653 [SPEAKER_01]: More often than not, he left.

09:07.693 --> 09:10.854 [SPEAKER_01]: He had 10 starts after that where he gave up no runs.

09:11.154 --> 09:14.475 [SPEAKER_01]: It was a pretty remarkable season.

09:14.935 --> 09:17.816 [SPEAKER_01]: And one that really is kind of almost impeccable.

09:17.876 --> 09:23.077 [SPEAKER_01]: Like, again, you see this every now and then, but you don't see seasons with a sub one, five, the R.A.

09:23.397 --> 09:27.258 [SPEAKER_01]: And you really, we had to head anyone since we started tracking this in 1993.

09:27.718 --> 09:32.500 [SPEAKER_01]: We had not had a picture who led the miners in ERA and strikeouts in the same year.

09:34.700 --> 09:35.301 [SPEAKER_01]: go together.

09:35.581 --> 09:36.922 [SPEAKER_01]: But in this case they did.

09:37.542 --> 09:38.463 [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, absolutely.

09:38.543 --> 09:44.307 [SPEAKER_03]: I think you look at the sort of changes that Tom made over the offseason as well.

09:44.627 --> 09:58.257 [SPEAKER_03]: And just his ability to level up in terms of adding the velocity, reworking that change up so it was less of a fourth pitch for him after the slider in the curveball in 2024.

09:58.837 --> 10:01.339 [SPEAKER_03]: It became his primary pitch and I honestly think that's what

10:02.860 --> 10:08.543 [SPEAKER_03]: to the amount of success that he's had, and I think there's still building blocks here for him to even improve and get better.

10:09.023 --> 10:21.869 [SPEAKER_03]: More focus on that slider and kind of getting back to some of the shape that we saw in 2024, getting more results on that consistently, and the curve ball is still useful.

10:21.929 --> 10:28.172 [SPEAKER_03]: It's just not a primary secondary pitch, but I think you look at the totality of the arsenal

10:28.812 --> 10:38.039 [SPEAKER_03]: And potentially what he can turn into even in the next couple of years, I still think there's more ceiling here than what we've seen.

10:38.059 --> 10:44.023 [SPEAKER_03]: I don't think that he's completely sort of optimized himself to the fullest extent yet.

10:44.103 --> 10:51.488 [SPEAKER_03]: And it's good to see him having some success, obviously not in the same level of Nolan McLean and the big leagues, but you know, it's a little younger, and

10:52.689 --> 10:58.175 [SPEAKER_03]: It will be interesting to see how this all plays out, but I do think both of those guys are going to be major parts of the rotation going forward.

10:58.636 --> 11:11.890 [SPEAKER_03]: And we could see, we could see an improved Jonah Tongue next year where there might be a better slider or another pitch in there to sort of work in unison with that fastball and change up that has been, you know, deadly this season, frankly.

11:13.572 --> 11:21.836 [SPEAKER_04]: So coming shortly on Baseball America hot cheat, we will announce the winner of the minor league player of the year.

11:21.956 --> 11:26.859 [SPEAKER_04]: You saw per organization, we pick one from that group and give you the best position player.

11:27.179 --> 11:36.644 [SPEAKER_04]: Best pitcher will come out on Baseballamerican.com and across socials on Tuesday but we're expecting the winner not only to be announced but to be joining us, soon be right back.

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12:40.684 --> 12:42.545 [SPEAKER_04]: Okay, we're back, and we always take questions.

12:42.805 --> 12:46.287 [SPEAKER_04]: So let's take one from the live chat, baseball toast.

12:46.847 --> 12:52.309 [SPEAKER_04]: Do the white socks push Caleb Bonnermer to Birmingham to start 2026, JJ, what do you think?

12:53.150 --> 13:06.996 [SPEAKER_01]: I would say either yes, or if not, it would be one of those things where, okay, maybe he starts the season back in Winston and Salem, but it's like, and then three weeks or a month into the season, he's up to AA, and okay, it's how much is the difference to that.

13:07.456 --> 13:08.897 [SPEAKER_01]: I just wanted to kind of highlight on that,

13:10.392 --> 13:13.894 [SPEAKER_01]: The White Sox had a truly horrid season last year.

13:14.294 --> 13:22.038 [SPEAKER_01]: And obviously at the Big League level, this is not a season that you're going to, that any White Sox fan is going to kind of file away as one of the greatest memories that they've ever had.

13:22.178 --> 13:29.222 [SPEAKER_01]: But it is amazing to me how different the two terrible seasons are at the Big League level because you look at this White Sox team.

13:29.362 --> 13:34.105 [SPEAKER_01]: And if you're going to be bad, at least be interesting, young and promising and bad.

13:34.125 --> 13:34.185 [SPEAKER_01]: And

13:34.985 --> 13:40.307 [SPEAKER_01]: This year we saw, you know, we, we saw Shane Smith in their rotation, great rule five pick.

13:40.647 --> 13:41.887 [SPEAKER_01]: We saw Colson McGummery.

13:42.307 --> 13:51.190 [SPEAKER_01]: We saw, you know, a pair of catchers in Quarro and entail who look like that they are fixtures for the white sucks for a long period of time.

13:51.610 --> 13:56.992 [SPEAKER_01]: And then when you do go to the minor league level, you also add in like the breaks outs of guys like Caleb Bonnermer,

13:57.812 --> 14:10.716 [SPEAKER_01]: I just feel like that this white-suck system, this white-suck's organization still has a long way to go, but it feels a lot better where we are, where they are, I should say, right now compared they were on the on-going.

14:11.897 --> 14:12.877 [SPEAKER_04]: JJ, good stuff.

14:12.917 --> 14:21.020 [SPEAKER_04]: We're going to take another quicky break and we'll get ready for the announcement plus our special guest joining us right after that for a big final segment on Hatchee.

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15:24.418 --> 15:31.300 [SPEAKER_01]: We are back, and we are excited to announce that Baseball America's 2025 minor league player the year,

15:32.050 --> 15:35.311 [SPEAKER_01]: is Pirate Shortstop slash center fielder, Connor Griffin.

15:36.071 --> 15:40.693 [SPEAKER_01]: I wanna just kind of highlight a couple of things here that stand out about Connor Griffin this year.

15:41.293 --> 15:42.493 [SPEAKER_01]: Connor Griffin hit 333.

15:42.553 --> 15:48.735 [SPEAKER_01]: That is the highest batting average in full season minor leagues by a teenager since Vladimir Barrow Jr.

15:49.055 --> 15:51.036 [SPEAKER_01]: hit 382 back in 2018.

15:52.156 --> 15:58.518 [SPEAKER_01]: Connor Griffin also played shortstop most of the year, 80, eight games I believe, seven errors.

15:59.293 --> 16:05.496 [SPEAKER_01]: There was only three teenage shortstop 75 more games this year who had 10 or fewer errors.

16:05.556 --> 16:13.580 [SPEAKER_01]: Conrad Griffin was one of those, and by the way, doing it while making some sensational catches some plays that you just wanna watch over and over and over.

16:14.220 --> 16:22.745 [SPEAKER_01]: And on top of that, no drafted teenager had ever had a 20, 40 season, 20 homers, 40 steals in the minor leagues, ever.

16:23.485 --> 16:36.549 [SPEAKER_01]: This year, Connor Griffin hit 21 homers while stealing 65 bases, put it all together and Connor Griffin, congratulations, you are baseball America's 2025, minor league player of the year, congrats on the season.

16:37.150 --> 16:40.451 [SPEAKER_01]: And just what is the last year been like for you?

16:40.511 --> 16:47.413 [SPEAKER_01]: At this time last year, you're just coming out of the draft and here you are, you're in AA and, you know, just coming off of a thrilling playoff series.

16:48.437 --> 17:07.868 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's been a crazy year, but I'm super thankful for the pirates for taking a chance on me last year's draft and it's been a heck of a year learned so much about myself, really feel like I grew as a baseball player and now I'm back home and getting to the all season takes some time off and get ready to keep going next year.

17:10.303 --> 17:23.610 [SPEAKER_03]: Hey Connor, Jeff Ponce, got the opportunity to obviously meet you or, you know, chat with you a little bit last week out in El tuna, uh, great series that you had there on, unfortunately, guys came a little short against a very talented area team, but did you hit 600 during the series?

17:23.670 --> 17:31.115 [SPEAKER_03]: So, can't be too angry about the performance, but we talked a little bit when we chatted about, you know, just sort of the adjustments you had to make,

17:31.835 --> 17:41.043 [SPEAKER_03]: in low A and then, you know, getting up to high, getting up to double A, your numbers in your line and comparison to your peers actually improved each level.

17:41.163 --> 17:45.167 [SPEAKER_03]: So talk to me a little bit about making those adjustments and dealing with some of that diversity.

17:46.264 --> 17:51.329 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I just think experience is the most important thing as the season went on.

17:51.369 --> 18:03.700 [SPEAKER_02]: I felt like I continued to stack up good days and become the hitter and defensive player that I became and there was always something a different challenge every day that I was,

18:04.120 --> 18:28.099 [SPEAKER_02]: trying to overcome, but the main thing is just making sure I show up, ready to win, ready to compete every day and try to find some way to grow as a player, but there was always something and you know with the hitting side, just making sure to be consistent, that was my biggest thing, continue to show up and be consistent, be who I am every day and then defensively,

18:30.021 --> 18:39.335 [SPEAKER_02]: It was kind of, you know, big mentally for me, just, you know, making sure I'm focused every single, every single pitch and just given it, given it my all, every time I'm out there.

18:39.355 --> 18:43.041 [SPEAKER_02]: So it's just trying to be the same player at every level and continue to do what I did.

18:44.663 --> 18:44.924 [SPEAKER_01]: Connor.

18:45.623 --> 18:47.864 [SPEAKER_01]: We kind of like to pull over swings, look at all that.

18:47.964 --> 18:54.087 [SPEAKER_01]: But one thing that jumped out to me probably the most looking at your swing from high school to now is just how physically different you are.

18:54.908 --> 18:58.970 [SPEAKER_01]: How much has that kind of been a big part of your adjustment to pro-boss?

18:58.990 --> 19:03.892 [SPEAKER_01]: Like physically it looks like you really kind of have filled out over the past 12 to 16 months.

19:05.880 --> 19:10.145 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think when I got drafted, I was right around like 210 pounds.

19:10.965 --> 19:13.408 [SPEAKER_02]: And now I'm up to about 225.

19:13.908 --> 19:15.490 [SPEAKER_02]: That's what I got to going into spring training.

19:15.510 --> 19:22.538 [SPEAKER_02]: And so I think that was a huge, you know, for me, I started swimming in a 33 and a half, a little bigger bat than I was in high school.

19:23.158 --> 19:26.382 [SPEAKER_02]: I started being able to use my legs more just being the ground.

19:27.803 --> 19:37.815 [SPEAKER_02]: and then I always had the power but it's just being consistent with the power and that's what eventually came from that and it was a great all season last year.

19:37.835 --> 19:47.466 [SPEAKER_02]: I trained really hard made sure I was eating well and I wanted to get to spring training at 225 and that's what I did and I think it really, I think I've been benefited from it really good.

19:49.033 --> 19:56.406 [SPEAKER_03]: Let's take a little deeper because you talked about this with me last week as well, working with your dad and the off-season on your swing and cleaning up some things.

19:56.987 --> 20:00.073 [SPEAKER_03]: What sort of stuff did you guys focus on and clean up?

20:01.551 --> 20:11.136 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, we focused a lot on the lower half, making sure I'm staying on my back side and not jumping out of it, didn't want to make 95 feel like a 100 every time I'm in the box.

20:11.176 --> 20:26.464 [SPEAKER_02]: So, plus it helped me see the ball a little better, have more time and then just really really focused in on direction and high school, I think we talked about this that I was armed bar in a little bit, made sure to try to be a little shorter to the ball.

20:27.625 --> 20:31.766 [SPEAKER_02]: and just maintain a good direction and then really worked out for me.

20:31.806 --> 20:42.010 [SPEAKER_02]: So, you're going to continue to hammer down those things and super thankful for my dad who helped me get to where I'm at and we're going to continue to work this all season and try to continue to get better.

20:43.660 --> 20:45.141 [SPEAKER_01]: So you mentioned about spring training.

20:45.482 --> 20:52.348 [SPEAKER_01]: That kind of felt like, that was a big moment for you as far as the pirates' fans and all, the anticipation started building.

20:52.688 --> 20:57.412 [SPEAKER_01]: Because you got to play a lot in big league games, in spring training.

20:57.833 --> 20:59.394 [SPEAKER_01]: How important though was that for you also?

20:59.414 --> 21:00.415 [SPEAKER_01]: You got to make some plays.

21:00.455 --> 21:04.559 [SPEAKER_01]: You got to get kind of that feel of what big league spring trainings like.

21:05.199 --> 21:08.062 [SPEAKER_01]: Did that kind of really kind of springboard you into the season?

21:09.135 --> 21:33.052 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think that was the biggest part of my season was spring training, not even playing in the games, just being every day with the big league staff, the veterans, and just trying to figure out how to become a pro, and it was really easy sitting there watching Galside Paul schemes and Andrew McCutchen, just watching how they go about their day, and I learned a lot of big league camp and getting to the games, and

21:34.253 --> 21:50.445 [SPEAKER_02]: play a little bit in front of the fans, it was awesome, got to kind of make a name for myself and then I continued on to my season and I think it really prepared me for my first year was being a big league camp, so it was a great experience for me.

21:51.748 --> 21:55.792 [SPEAKER_01]: Now, in spring training, you did a lot of playing in center field, and then obviously the season went along.

21:55.832 --> 21:59.736 [SPEAKER_01]: You played much more at short, so to little bit, it got to play both of us.

21:59.756 --> 22:00.337 [SPEAKER_01]: You'll play both.

22:00.997 --> 22:04.741 [SPEAKER_01]: One of the things that stood out to me about you at shortstop, which may be it's because of center field.

22:04.761 --> 22:07.684 [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if it's wide receiver background, do you have it on with you?

22:07.704 --> 22:08.665 [SPEAKER_01]: Have that in your background or what?

22:08.745 --> 22:12.248 [SPEAKER_01]: But you're tracking of balls over your head at shortstop.

22:12.989 --> 22:15.593 [SPEAKER_01]: a lot of guys, they kind of, that's a tough one for them.

22:16.113 --> 22:24.164 [SPEAKER_01]: That seemed to be something that you almost like embraced, was seeing that pop fly that was going to end up in short center or, you know, in short left field.

22:25.085 --> 22:27.088 [SPEAKER_01]: Is that kind of like, where did that come from?

22:28.363 --> 22:31.325 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think it just, it came from me being an outfielder first.

22:31.966 --> 22:37.530 [SPEAKER_02]: I've always, I've always loved outfielder, I mean, I can say that outfielder definitely comes more natural to me.

22:38.271 --> 22:42.575 [SPEAKER_02]: But being a short, I just want to make plays.

22:42.655 --> 22:48.479 [SPEAKER_02]: And so when those kind of in-between balls are right behind me, I just feel like I'm a centerfielder again.

22:48.519 --> 22:50.881 [SPEAKER_02]: I go back and try to track them down.

22:50.981 --> 22:51.122 [SPEAKER_02]: But

22:52.115 --> 22:57.279 [SPEAKER_02]: I think it's cool, it's really cool how Alfield and Phil kind of work together.

22:57.339 --> 23:06.445 [SPEAKER_02]: I feel like they stuck me at short most of the year just because I kept my footwork sharp and if I needed to go to the Alfield I could.

23:08.386 --> 23:23.019 [SPEAKER_02]: I think in spring training they really didn't know whether I was going to play center field or shortstop there just give me wraps of both spots and then when the season started they said hey let's take it short and let's you play some center field if you want but but I spent most of the years short and I loved it.

23:23.139 --> 23:30.406 [SPEAKER_02]: I feel like I became really decent shortstop and I feel like I grew a lot at that position and

23:31.366 --> 23:39.768 [SPEAKER_02]: not just fundamentals, but just the mental side where to be on certain plays, things like that, things that I didn't really think about when I was in high school.

23:39.788 --> 23:45.729 [SPEAKER_02]: I just kind of tried to be an athlete and go play, but I really learned a lot, especially starting in spring training.

23:47.149 --> 23:53.031 [SPEAKER_03]: What sort of things you talked about being around the veterans and obviously growing as a player

24:00.777 --> 24:10.252 [SPEAKER_03]: in terms of like your pre-game work and all that sort of stuff that maybe is a little different than you know when you were in high school and you know things are a little different and the resources and stuff or you see different that too.

24:11.473 --> 24:32.847 [SPEAKER_02]: I think just the way they take care of themselves to start the day, they get their hours before even taking a swing in the cage or taking your own balls, they're there, they're getting their body loose in the gym and I think that's something that helped me feel great all year was having a good activation workout and I mean

24:33.367 --> 24:45.394 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm here watching Paul skiing sit outside in the grass and stretch and do things for an hour to two hours before he even started to pick up a baseball Also, I think that that stuff is really important.

24:45.454 --> 24:46.234 [SPEAKER_02]: Get your mind right.

24:46.414 --> 24:57.340 [SPEAKER_02]: Get you locked in for the day and I Think I added that stuff to my routine and it kind of helped me feel good Help me feel consistent every day knowing that I was doing the same routine every time I showed up to the field

24:59.513 --> 25:02.555 [SPEAKER_01]: Connor, the other thing I was going to kind of end this with is on my end.

25:02.595 --> 25:08.499 [SPEAKER_01]: This, thank you for joining us, but we've had a few high school players the year who've also gone on to be our minor league player the year.

25:09.300 --> 25:14.923 [SPEAKER_01]: Joe Maurer, Byron Buxton, Bobby Witt Jr, Jackson Holiday, and now you.

25:15.124 --> 25:18.006 [SPEAKER_01]: That's a pretty good group to be part of.

25:18.326 --> 25:25.911 [SPEAKER_01]: I would, so I did want to kind of ask with that, who did you grow up kind of like who is your player that you kind of watched as a kid and said I want to be like that?

25:27.357 --> 25:32.158 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's crazy to say this, but I love watching Ronald Acunia Jr.

25:32.218 --> 25:35.539 [SPEAKER_02]: play that was that was a guy I love watching another mind only play it on here.

25:36.319 --> 25:51.122 [SPEAKER_02]: Yep, a lot of energy you know swings it has a heck of an arm so I just love watching how he played the game and I was a brace fan growing up my dad's from Georgia, so he always had the brace on at the house, so that was definitely the guy I love to watch.

25:52.401 --> 25:55.203 [SPEAKER_04]: Connor last won for me at the finish line you mentioned schemes.

25:55.783 --> 25:57.264 [SPEAKER_04]: Do you keep in touch with him?

25:57.665 --> 26:06.210 [SPEAKER_04]: And if so, I mean, I know Paul has been brilliant up in the major leagues, but is one of those intense gamers.

26:06.891 --> 26:10.113 [SPEAKER_04]: And he's going to tell us as we've talked to him say like last year.

26:10.753 --> 26:15.216 [SPEAKER_04]: at the awards for Rookie the Year that he loves it.

26:15.537 --> 26:18.899 [SPEAKER_04]: The win and obviously the individual accomplishment, but he's like not good enough.

26:19.300 --> 26:22.682 [SPEAKER_04]: I need postseason ball and he hasn't seen that yet in his first couple seasons.

26:22.762 --> 26:26.325 [SPEAKER_04]: So if you have spoken to him, do you guys talk about what the future could look like in Pittsburgh?

26:27.381 --> 26:27.881 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's cool.

26:27.901 --> 26:29.622 [SPEAKER_02]: He stays in touch.

26:29.702 --> 26:34.263 [SPEAKER_02]: He'll text me every now and then just checking in and making sure everything is going well.

26:34.303 --> 26:37.483 [SPEAKER_02]: And when we're in spring training, we've got to spend a lot of time together.

26:37.523 --> 26:40.744 [SPEAKER_02]: And it's just cool to see the type of competitor he is.

26:40.804 --> 26:43.685 [SPEAKER_02]: And I mean, he wants to win more than anything.

26:43.745 --> 26:50.386 [SPEAKER_02]: And if you can get a lot of guys around him that have that same mentality, like it's going to be a fun few years.

26:50.486 --> 26:56.908 [SPEAKER_02]: And I just can't wait to continue to grow his a player and try to be there as quick as I can just to be around that.

26:57.769 --> 27:11.510 [SPEAKER_02]: That that type of player and because I just know it'll it makes everybody better who's around them and Most important thing is winning and we want to win bad It was cool to be in double a and make it to the playoffs for for the out tune of curve for the first time since 2018 so

27:13.292 --> 27:23.618 [SPEAKER_02]: I got my first taste of that, I mean, the fans, even in double way, we're so excited that we made the playoffs like I can't imagine getting to Pittsburgh eventually and doing the same thing.

27:23.638 --> 27:33.383 [SPEAKER_02]: So that's definitely the main goal, but I know there's a lot of work to be done, and I'm continue to grow as a player, and continue to work hard and see what happens.

27:34.184 --> 27:34.924 [SPEAKER_04]: Great answers.

27:35.124 --> 27:36.065 [SPEAKER_04]: Awesome to have you on.

27:36.165 --> 27:37.486 [SPEAKER_04]: Congratulations, Connor.

27:37.546 --> 27:38.746 [SPEAKER_04]: Thank you so much for joining us.

27:38.786 --> 27:40.107 [SPEAKER_04]: Congratulations on the award.

27:40.953 --> 27:41.894 [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you, I appreciate it.

27:41.914 --> 27:43.414 [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks for, uh, thanks for believing in me.

27:44.315 --> 27:47.857 [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, thanks for thanks for joining us, man, and congrats again on a great year.

27:47.877 --> 27:54.221 [SPEAKER_04]: That's Connor Griffin, who also happens to be on the baseball America, 2026 prospect and book.

27:54.261 --> 27:59.764 [SPEAKER_04]: So awesome conversation and we can just wrap it up here, JJ with some final words as we see there.

28:00.525 --> 28:03.507 [SPEAKER_04]: Connor's getting a lot of love via baseball America this year.

28:04.388 --> 28:24.735 [SPEAKER_01]: Right, at baseball america dot com slash store that is pre sails on for that now, but the thing that just jumps out here, we know we talked about it on that, you know, with Connor is hey, I know the pirates, it has been bleak for the last for a lot of years, but to have Connor Griffin following on the heels of Paul schemes, there's something here, we'll see, you know, again, can they put stuff around it, but

28:25.775 --> 28:29.698 [SPEAKER_01]: Again, with our minor league player of the year, we try to pick someone who has staying power.

28:29.778 --> 28:31.199 [SPEAKER_01]: I feel very comfortable.

28:31.560 --> 28:33.021 [SPEAKER_01]: Jeff, I think feels very comfortable.

28:33.081 --> 28:42.988 [SPEAKER_01]: Everyone on the staff feels very comfortable that we are talking about someone who is going to be one of, you know, a star in the big leagues, and probably not before but too long from now.

28:43.409 --> 28:45.890 [SPEAKER_01]: You know, you just, he has so many different ways to impact the game.

28:46.191 --> 28:49.113 [SPEAKER_01]: I love how he said he can be a center of field or he can be a short stop.

28:49.153 --> 28:49.753 [SPEAKER_01]: He loves both.

28:50.074 --> 28:54.317 [SPEAKER_01]: That's not a whole lot of guys can just move back and forth between those two positions.

28:55.393 --> 29:00.055 [SPEAKER_04]: One reminder on the way out, we just learned position player, picture is the next award.

29:00.255 --> 29:05.877 [SPEAKER_04]: And again, you can check that out via baseball America socials in the website coming up on Tuesday.

29:05.957 --> 29:07.378 [SPEAKER_04]: Thank you so much for joining us.

29:07.418 --> 29:10.359 [SPEAKER_04]: Thanks again to Connor Griffin for joining us on Baseball America Hot Cheap.

29:10.379 --> 29:11.119 [SPEAKER_04]: We did this every week.

29:11.460 --> 29:15.621 [SPEAKER_04]: We will see you next week, Monday, live, 330 Eastern time on YouTube.

29:15.681 --> 29:19.123 [SPEAKER_04]: Otherwise, catch us afterward on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

29:19.403 --> 29:19.663 [SPEAKER_04]: See ya.