Konnor Griffin is the center baby of a Division III faculty softball coach. His mother and father’ names each begin with Ok, as do each of his brothers’.
“If my mother’s making an attempt to come up with me, she’ll most likely say my different two brothers’ names first after which get to mine,” he stated. “It’s form of complicated, however everyone in my household has Ok as a primary preliminary. It’s completely different, however it makes us distinctive.”
Griffin has a broad smile and an equally broad Mississippi accent, and from the neck down he’s pure muscle. He’s simply preposterously massive: 6-foot-4, 205 kilos, although he’d haven’t any hassle convincing me he was being cheated one other inch and 20 or 30 kilos. At his dimension, there’s the potential for plus-plus energy. He also can run — he stole greater than 80 bases in his remaining highschool season — and hit the mid-90s throwing off a mound.
He’s 18 years previous and simply graduated highschool. He says he can play shortstop on the subsequent degree, however can he prepare dinner and do laundry?
“I’m making an attempt to be taught that stuff proper now,” he says. “I understand how to scrub garments. I don’t know the way to prepare dinner nice. I’m nonetheless engaged on that.”
I advised Griffin {that a} crockpot is your greatest buddy.
(For those who’ll indulge a quick digression: The crockpot is a magical machine that turns random components into tasty, nutritious meals with zero effort or method required. It’s vital for any younger one that can barely prepare dinner. After I’m president, the federal government will problem each highschool graduate a crockpot once they transfer out of their mother and father’ home for the primary time.)
Griffin Burkholder, a speedy highschool outfielder from Virginia who might go off the board early on Day Two, says that whereas he needs to enhance his culinary repertoire, he’s found an affinity for making pasta.
“You are able to do quite a lot of pastas which are fairly straightforward,” he stated. “I make a great mac and cheese, make some good vodka pasta. That form of stuff’s at all times good and never too laborious to make.”
The highschool youngsters I talked to on the Draft Mix are going by two completely different experiences without delay, one common, the opposite extremely uncommon. The primary: Graduating highschool, shifting out of their mother and father’ homes for the primary time, beginning faculty and/or a profession. Each teenager (not less than each teenager who received’t develop into a burden to their future roommates and/or romantic companions) learns the way to prepare dinner and clear. Each teenager has to determine who they’re and what they need out of life, as soon as given the liberty to make their very own choices.
The place Burkholder, Griffin, and their cohort diverge from that common expertise is right here, on the draft. They’ve been getting ready for this second for years, and have been picked over by scouts, coaches, and — sure, reporters — alongside the best way.
“I’ve by no means skilled, like, actually going outdoors and hanging with the fellows,” stated PJ Morlando, an outfielder from Summerville, South Carolina, who was projected to go twenty seventh total in Eric Longenhagen’s first mock draft. “I’ve at all times been so targeted on my consistency, being a baseball participant and making an attempt to ensure I’m the very best model of myself that I might probably be. I eat, breathe, sleep — I really feel like I used to be positioned right here on this earth to play baseball. And that’s what I’m going to do till the sport actually tells me to take my cleats off.”
Morlando had been trying ahead to his week in Arizona for the Mix for weeks. “I’ve been having desires about it,” he stated. The day we talked he confirmed up at Chase Subject at 7:30 a.m., took greater than 20 interviews and conferences, and stayed till after 8 p.m.
He additionally did one thing uncommon for a participant projected to go within the first spherical: He labored out.
Many of the prime draft prospects — not less than those that aren’t in any other case busy on the Faculty World Collection — come to the Mix for conferences, however in 2023, no person ranked in our prime 30 truly threw a bullpen or took batting observe. Morlando did, and he placed on a present. He had seven out of the highest 30 exit velocities on the day he hit, in a gaggle that included various faculty hitters.
“I had the best common exit velo, I feel 107,” he stated, clearly happy with himself. Morlando stated figuring out was not solely a chance to make one final optimistic impression on the scouts, however it made sense because the capstone of a remaining season of highschool ball.
“I needed to reopen some eyes,” he stated. “I feel I’ve slid on lots of people’s mock drafts, however actually I simply did it for my very own satisfaction, and to point out off all of the issues I’ve been engaged on.”
The mix exercise/press junket isn’t not like the showcases that these youngsters have gone by dozens of occasions, however Morlando says that whereas the ambiance on the Mix was extra laid-back, the stakes are excessive.
“That is the place they get to see for those who’re only a showcase man or for those who’re a real participant,” he stated. “That’s why all these conferences are so vital. They get to interrupt you down and attempt to get to know you.”
Nevertheless it’s not like groups don’t already know these youngsters in and out.
Griffin stated the factor that stunned him most in regards to the draft course of was the extent to which scouts had examined his whole life, each on and off the sphere. “I performed basketball rising up, they usually reached out to my previous basketball coach, simply to present an instance,” he stated. “They’re ensuring you’re performing proper at school, out of faculty. They need all the knowledge. They attempt to discover purple flags. For those who can simply restrict what number of purple flags they’ll discover, that’s higher.”
To be able to enhance his draft inventory, the Mississippi native additionally did one thing most excessive schoolers would by no means even dream of contemplating: He reclassified, which is sports activities jargon for graduating highschool a 12 months early.
“I used to be an older child for the ’25 class, so I used to be on the prime of the category, however I needed to push myself extra. I needed to compete towards older guys,” he stated. Griffin stated he was challenged extra after going up a grade, which helped him develop not simply athletically however personally. However he additionally needed to cram three years of highschool into two. He stated he’d racked up some highschool credit whereas taking honors courses at a public center college earlier than he transferred to the non-public Jackson Prep.
“After I began to reclass, I used to be forward just a bit bit, however I nonetheless needed to take tenth and eleventh grade courses my junior 12 months, after which eleventh and twelfth grade courses my senior 12 months,” he stated. “So for 2 years, it was plenty of work. Nevertheless it was good. It confirmed that I’m mature. I can deal with that workload and nonetheless get my stuff executed on the sphere.”
Plus, as an alternative of going into the draft as a 19-year-old highschool senior, he’s now one of many youthful highschool prospects. Griffin is within the operating to be the primary highschool participant picked; one of many different candidates for that distinction is Bryce Rainer, a shortstop from Harvard-Westlake College in California. Harvard-Westlake is most well-known in baseball circles for briefly fielding a rotation of Lucas Giolito, Max Fried, and Jack Flaherty, however it’s additionally a well-liked prep college for the youngsters of the wealthy and well-known in Los Angeles.
“I feel I’m fortunate to go to a college the place there’s plenty of fame, plenty of consideration,” Rainer stated. “There’s a number of celebrities. So if I’m being trustworthy with you, I actually had — I can’t say regular, as a result of it’s not regular — the common highschool expertise for probably the most half.”
That’s saying one thing, as a result of Rainer’s athletic fame has an extended tail. As a freshman, he threw an entire sport to get Harvard-Westlake right into a sectional remaining, a feat that earned him headlines within the Los Angeles Occasions on the age of 15. Not one of the excessive schoolers I talked to on the Mix appeared to embrace social media and superstar the best way earlier prime picks like Druw Jones and Max Clark have — every had a unique degree of enthusiasm for the superstar facet {of professional} baseball, and every was cautious, in his personal approach, of the eye they’re about to obtain.
However of the three potential first-rounders, Rainer appeared probably the most jaded about fame, maybe due to the weird tutorial surroundings he got here up by.
“I haven’t actually tried to construct an excessive amount of of a platform. I’ve obtained a good following on Instagram, however I’ve obtained, like three posts, so it’s not like I’m on it an excessive amount of,” he stated. (Rainer has 14,500 followers. Morlando has 23,400, Griffin 32,400. Clark has 416,000.) “I’ve TikTok and Snapchat and all that, however I don’t actually prefer it an excessive amount of. The baseball facet of it’ll handle issues, and if individuals need to comply with me for that, superior. However I’m not gonna attempt to be somebody who I’m not. I’m simply not that kind of man.”
Nonetheless, a five-figure Instagram follower rely on three posts is plenty of consideration, a degree of notoriety apparently accessible solely to baseball gamers and particularly cute kittens. As a lot as these highschool prospects lean on their households, coaches, and mates for assist, it helps to have somebody round who can’t solely empathize however perceive firsthand what they’re going by.
Griffin says he’s leaned on his father, who’s been on the opposite facet of the recruiting course of for his job. Rainer and Morlando each got here to the Mix with teammates from their highschool. Rainer’s Harvard-Westlake teammate, Duncan Marsten, is a right-handed pitcher who might go on Day Two. Morlando performed at Summerville Excessive College with Carson Messina, additionally a right-handed pitcher, who’s going by the draft course of. Messina’s older brother, Cole, is an All-America catcher on the College of South Carolina, and will go off the board within the first few rounds himself.
“It’s actually cool to have that, Morlando stated. “Me and Carson performed on the identical summer season ball groups too, so our entire summer season ball workforce’s right here collaborating on this occasion. I assume you could possibly say that is one other place the place all of our paths cross.”
“Truthfully, simply with all the things, it’s cool to have the ability to speak to somebody who’s in the identical place I’m in,” Rainer stated. “There positively have been occasions the place you possibly can’t actually deliver up the identical points with a few of your mates as you possibly can with Duncan, so it’s been very good.”
One of many distinctive challenges of being a highschool prospect is deciding not simply the place to go to varsity, however whether or not to go to varsity. Griffin is dedicated to LSU and Rainer to Texas, although each of them are anticipated to go off the board so early it’s unlikely that both one will make it to freshman orientation. Morlando might be, however not positively, in the identical boat as a late-first-round prospect. If he drops, he might find yourself enjoying with Carson Messina once more, on the College of South Carolina. (Being a South Carolina alum myself, I gave Morlando an enthusiastic gross sales pitch, however I don’t assume I moved the needle in any respect.) Burkholder has a spot ready at West Virginia if the draft doesn’t work out, whereas Marsten is dedicated to Wake Forest.
Morlando stated he’s tried to introduce himself to the faculty gamers he’s met by the draft course of and pump them for helpful data. Burkholder has sought recommendation from West Virginia’s outgoing star, JJ Wetherholt. Griffin has a hilariously sunny outlook on this troublesome determination.
“It’s been enjoyable. It exhibits all of the laborious work that I put in,” he stated. “It’s all paying off. I can both go to LSU and play SEC ball, or go to skilled ball. I’ve two nice choices forward of me.”
And it’s true; both Griffin’s going to be a millionaire within the subsequent few weeks, or — in an absolute worst-case state of affairs — he’s going to play for top-of-the-line faculty groups within the nation and sure problem for a nationwide championship earlier than re-entering the draft in three years.
The highest of the draft has gotten way more college-heavy because the pandemic. The mix of fewer rounds, NIL cash, and the autonomy afforded by the switch portal has made faculty baseball a way more enticing choice for prime highschool prospects. The inflow of information within the faculty sport has raised the usual of play and of participant improvement. However Morlando thinks the switch portal truly makes faculty a much less enticing choice for prime highschool prospects.
“That’s taken away from plenty of the fellows who had been freshmen who had an opportunity to begin. They’re getting senior transfers in,” Morlando stated. “So it’s powerful for a man like me. I’m gonna work my tail off it doesn’t matter what, however it’s going to be powerful for us to resolve on professional or faculty.”
Even with all of this scrutiny and the powerful choices forward, one of many largest markers of the passage of time for these highschool gamers has been the truth that they’re now seeing youthful gamers look as much as them.
“I really like that. I do classes with youngsters again in my hometown. I additionally work some prep baseball camps that they run at my highschool. I simply attempt to give again, as a result of lots of people helped me develop into the participant I’m in the present day,” Griffin stated. “I bear in mind after I was a youthful child, making an attempt to be taught from the gamers I regarded as much as, so now, understanding that I can provide again, it’s a cool feeling. I simply attempt to give them as a lot information as I can.”
Morlando talked about his expertise on the Excellent Sport nationwide showcase, the place he stated he’d tried to do the naked minimal of off-field media engagements, however he ended up speaking to youthful youngsters for 2 hours about his expertise on the showcase circuit and the nationwide workforce, and tried to cross on classes he’d discovered alongside the best way.
“It was superior, as a result of I obtained to show the youthful era,” he stated. “I actually hope they’ll take that into their lives, or once they’re right here in the future I hope they could be a bit extra relaxed and revel in it.”
“I understand how vital these guys had been to me after I was developing, and motivating me to be my greatest and work as laborious as they work to get into that spot,” Burkholder stated, mentioning Wetherholt and College of North Carolina outfielder Casey Cook dinner as gamers he’d regarded as much as. “If I can encourage youngsters to work laborious and attempt to attain their targets like I did, and in addition if I can encourage them to be nice individuals off the sphere too, treating individuals with respect… I’m actually making an attempt to cross that alongside, and it’s been an incredible feeling to be that particular person for youthful youngsters, simply because the older youngsters had been for me.”
Being on the opposite facet of the educating relationship, or the mentor-student relationship, permits these gamers to see their whole developmental paths laid out. (“It additionally makes you’re feeling actually previous,” Morlando stated.”)
The following step is an enormous one, however it’s solely a step.
“The draft is superior, don’t get me fallacious, however my finish aim isn’t the draft,” Rainer stated. “Like, my life goes to alter. Clearly life-changing cash, shifting out, and it’s utterly completely different. I’m myself. I’m going to attempt to be the identical particular person.”