In our 116th episode, Mike Couillard is joined by Taylor Corso and Kyle Sonntag of the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast to discuss the standout performances in the Arizona Fall League. You can find us on bluesky at @cardscategories.bsky.social, @mcouill7.bsky.social, and @jbrewer17.bsky.social. Email the pod at [email protected]. Links to things discussed in the pod: Josh Naylor re-signs with M’s Angels […]
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Esmerlyn Valdez
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Pittsburgh Pirates Top 10 Prospects For 2026 Fantasy Baseball
October 22, 2025 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 3 Commentsby: The Itch
1. SS Konnor Griffin | 19 | AA | 2026
Straight from the Department of This Is What They Look Like, Griffin checks in 6’4” 225 pounds with double-plus speed and power. In his senior year of high school, he was the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year after winning his third straight title for Jackson Prep in Mississippi. It’s no exaggeration to say he might steal 100 bases in a minor league season considering he stole 87 in 88 attempts in his final high school season. Somewhat shockingly for a player his size and age, he’s a promising defensive shortstop already and has the arm and speed to become an elite defender if his hands keep coming along. On talent alone, I think he’s the best prospect in baseball. In the context of his organization and ballpark, I have concerns: concerns that can look pretty silly in the light of his real-world outcomes: a slash line of .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases in 122 games across three levels in his pro debut season.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Rosters have been set for Major League Baseball’s Futures Game. First pitch is scheduled for Saturday at 4pm EST. Earlier in the day, tastemakers gather around the batting cage to marvel at the prowess of these youngsters, which seems to generate more helium in the prospect-sphere than the game itself. Makes sense to me. It’s a seven-inning exhibition, and while it’s fun, it’s hard to take too much away from that, although if you reacted to Drake Baldwin’s easy opposite field home run in last year’s game, you played it right.
Here’s a link to the full Futures Game rosters: https://www.mlb.com/news/2025-futures-game-rosters
A few names jump out to me as having a chance to enhance their name value with a nice batting practice session: Pirates OF Esmerlyn Valdez, Pirates SS Konnor Griffin, Phillies C Eduardo Tait, and Athletics 3B Tommy White. None of these guys are going to sneak up on the people there to see them, but they’re all going to be extremely impressive alongside the game’s best prospects. Griffin is the number one prospect in the minors right now. By no means am I unique in this belief, but it’s going to be the consensus soon, and it might happen next weekend.
Please, blog, may I have some more?A 15th round pick in 2022, Pirates 1B Josiash Sightler checks in at 6’3” 234 lbs and faces some uphill battles to carve out a major league role. He’s a corner-only bat who lost a key season to the pandemic and is pretty old for his current level, but he’s also hit eight home runs in 27 professional games across three levels. This week, he earned a promotion to High-A after slashing .500/.563/.891 with nine strikeouts and nine walks in 18 games at Low-A. The plate skills will be the key to his climb, and he’s already got twice as many walks (4) as strikeouts (2) in three High-A games. If he keeps this up, he should close the season in Double-A and open next year at spring training with the big club. Pittsburgh will probably bring in another veteran first baseman on the cheap, but Sightler is already the most interesting 1B in the organization.
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