Angels facing harsh truth with Konnor Griffin's spring training breakout

For an organization that has been the home to Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani for most of the past decade, the Los Angeles Angels have become one of the most irrelevant teams in Major League Baseball. That reality is almost exclusively tied to owner Arte Moreno, who doesn't appear to have much interest in making the Angels a sound baseball organization. Another unfortunate reality could hit the Angels directly in the face during the 2026 season.

This time, the blame can't be cast on Moreno. Pittsburgh Pirates' top prospect Konnor Giffin has emerged as the best prospect in baseball, and the overwhelming expectation is that he will be the game's next superstar.

Only 19 years old, Griffin isn't expected to make Pittsburgh's Opening Day roster, but a debut before the end of the 2026 season certainly isn't out of the question.

Griffin is in camp with the Pirates as a non-roster invite, and after going hitless in his first five plate appearances during Grapefruit League play, he put on a showcase during Tuesday's game against the Boston Red Sox, hitting two home runs.

Konnor Griffin may have just sent powerful reminder that the Angels got their 2024 first-round pick wrong

Here's the unfortunate reality for the Angels: Griffin wasn't the first overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Griffin was taken with the No. 9 selection by the Pirates, one spot after the Angels took University of Tennessee infielder Christian Moore.

One of the reasons why the Angels took Moore in 2024 is their belief that they could fast-track him to the major league level. For better or worse, they were right, considering Moore reached the majors in 2025. The problem is that the Angels may have already ruined his development.

Moore posted an 82 wRC+ in 53 games last year, and while it's still entirely too early to give up on him, he may not even break camp as the Angels' starting second baseman. In fact, the Angels appear to be toying with the idea of Moore playing third base.

Moore is still young, and there is plenty of time for him to figure things out and be a solid contributor at the big-league level. That being said, the idea of him being a superstar talent like Griffin appears unlikely. This could be a reminder that even when Moreno has nothing to do with the mess, the Angels almost always find a way to step in it.