Joe

Does it feel like a changing of the guard or at least a whole changing of their mentality?

Because it's been Bob Nutting as the owner, it's been Ben Charrington here since the COVID year, but it just feels like a little changing of the guard in how they do business.

He's here.

They should be raised.

Here's my proclamation, and maybe the pony point kind of stole a little bit of my thunder.

I believe that Connor Griffin will be the best Pirates position player since Barry Bonds.

He will win multiple MVPs.

He will win the Rookie of the Year this year, and he will bat over .300 and have a strong case to make the All-Star game this year.

I expect him to be their second best hitter by July if he's not that by the end of May.

And I don't see why an average right around 290, 300, maybe if it is right around 280, he hits 20 home runs.

He drives in 80-plus runs.

Why isn't that realistic?

It is.

It should be.

Well, there are some players that are just built different.

And, you know, was that the expectation when Connor Griffin, when he came into the draft, as the ninth pick, first high school player drafted, like J.J.

Weatherholt was taken ahead of him, Chase Burns was taken ahead of him?

Clearly not, if he went ninth overall.

But one other comparison that was made to him, if he would have been on the roster opening day, he would have been the first teenager to do so at that time since Griffey.

Griffey's season in Seattle in 89 was 16 home runs, 23 doubles, 61 RBIs, and he stole 16 bases, batted 264.