Konnor Griffin has been named the minor league player of the year by USA Today/Sports Weekly and is featured in the Oct. 22 publication. The former Jackson Prep star, who also received the 2025 top player award from milb.com and Baseball America, batted .333 with 21 homers, 65 steals and a .941 OPS across three levels of Pittsburgh’s system, peaking at Double-A. As the article notes, Griffin is the first minor leaguer in 20 years to hit .300 with 20 homers, 60 bags and 100 runs. Other winners of this award include former Mississippi Braves Jason Heyward and Ronald Acuna Jr. The Sports Weekly article focuses on Griffin’s family, notably dad Kevin, and his Florence roots. “I’m so proud to be from Florence, Mississippi,” Konnor Griffin says. “And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they’re proud of me.” … The venerable Baseball Digest, one of the few remaining periodicals of its sort, has nice feature stories on Mississippi natives Garrett Crochet and Herb Washington in its September/October issue. Crochet, from Ocean Springs, starred for Boston this year in his first season since a trade with the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox gave him a 6-year/$170 million contract, and the 6-foot-5 left-hander responded with a Cy Young-caliber season, going 18-5 and leading all pitchers in strikeouts. He also beat the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series opener. In the article, titled “Money in the Bank,” Crochet talks about how he came to appreciate the intense scrutiny players are under in Boston from fans in addition to media: “At first it was … not off-putting, but kind of awkward. I didn’t really know how to react. But now, you appreciate the fandom in the city.” … Washington, from Belzoni, is best known from his days as the Oakland A’s “designated runner” in 1974-75. An international sprint champion, he was hastily trained as a base-stealer by Maury Wills and, after a horribly slow start, stole 31 bases in 48 tries, scored 33 runs and never batted in 105 games. He was infamously picked off in the 1974 World Series and released early the next season. Per the article, he was offered the chance to bat in the final game of the ’74 season — against Nolan Ryan — and declined. He told the Baseball Digest writers that he just figured, “If you never have an at-bat, not matter how long you’re in baseball, you will have a uniqueness that will make your mark in baseball.” … Brent Rooker is a finalist for a Silver Slugger Award at DH in the American League. The Mississippi State product hit .262 with 30 homers, 92 RBIs and a .479 slugging percentage for the A’s this season. He won the award in 2024. Ex-DeSoto Central High standout Austin Riley is a finalist at third base in the National League but would have to be considered a longshot to win. He was limited by injury to 102 games for Atlanta and hit .260 with 16 homers, 54 RBIs and a .428 slug. He won the award in 2021 and ’23. … One hundred years ago this month, Ellisville native Buddy Myer made his World Series debut with the old Washington Nationals (Senators), helping the club get off to a 3-1 lead against Pittsburgh. Myer, one of Mississippi’s all-time best (.303 career hitter), went 2-for-8 with a walk over those first four games. The rookie infielder didn’t play in the final three, all won by the Pirates. Myer got back to the Series in 1933 with Washington but lost there, too.
