Pirates' top prospect Konnor Griffin given amazing praise, Hall of Fame comparisons by ESPN

The headline on ESPN on Tuesday morning says it all -- "No. 1 prospect is in a tier of his own."

That prospect is Konnor Griffin, the shortstop rising rapidly through the Pittsburgh Pirates' minor league system. There's no one in the sport like him.

ESPN's prospect guru Kiley McDaniel unveiled his top-100 prospects list on Tuesday, and he's got Griffin at the top, and then everyone else.

Griffin is that good.

MORE: Bo Bichette comments exhibit clear hyprocrisy

McDaniel writes that Griffin reminds him of "Fernando Tatis Jr. meets Bobby Witt Jr." and that he's an "NFL wideout-level athlete who also has high-end skills."

"Griffin is the top prospect in baseball by a mile, and I almost put him in the 70 FV (future value) tier, which is the highest I'll put any hypothetical prospect, as that means I expect him to be on MVP ballots with 5-plus WAR seasons every year; I'd need a full season in the big leagues to drop a higher grade on a young player," McDaniel writes. "If I move him to a 70 FV, that would put Griffin in the conversation with Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and other top prospects of this era."

Griffin is the top prospect in baseball across the industry right now, and McDaniel isn't the only person to use Trout as an example of the upside Griffin is believed to possess.

The Pirates are moving in quite the exciting direction.

"There's chatter he could break camp as the every-day big league shortstop and possibly garner a bonus draft pick for the Pirates if he wins National League Rookie of the Year," McDaniel writes. "That seems early given Griffin's experience, but superstars almost always arrive ahead of schedule -- Juan Soto played 122 career minor league games and debuted as a teenager -- so I'm not going to rule out that this plan works in 2026. Add Griffin to Paul Skenes, with Bubba Chandler also breaking into the big leagues with front-line upside, and you can start to imagine how this team could electrify the Steel City."

MORE: Andrew McCutchen is not happy with the Pirates

Even if Griffin doesn't break camp in the bigs, the countdown will be on.

Pirates fans will be tracking every move that's made until their shortstop of the future arrives in Pittsburgh, and when that day comes, it'll come with plenty of hype.

More MLB news:

• Team USA's projected WBC lineup is incredible
• Dominican Republic's projected WBC lineup is fierce
• How Trent Grisham's decision ruined the Yankees' offseason plans
• Buster Posey will change Hall of Fame voting forever
• An Air Force Captain will pitch for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic
• Why Max Scherzer may not sign a contract before Opening Day