The Pittsburgh Pirates' young core, featuring top prospects Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin, has been ranked surprisingly low despite their potential. Both players are seen as key contributors to the team's momentum this season.

Pirates' young core led by Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin receives surprisingly low ranking originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a ton of momentum this season, thanks in large part to the offense finally coming together into a solid unit.
Konnor Griffin, the 20-year-old top prospect who's made his debut and looked solid, is one of the most exciting young players in baseball. Add in that Paul Skenes is still just 24 years old, and the Pirates' young core should be one of the best in MLB.
However, according to Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller, the Pirates' young core received a surprisingly low ranking compared to the elite talent of Skenes and Griffin.
"10. Pittsburgh Pirates. Core Four: Paul Skenes (24), Konnor Griffin (20), Jared Jones (24), Bubba Chandler (23)," Miller writes.
The Pirates have the 10th-best young core in baseball, but with Skenes and Griffin, it's a surprise they aren't ranked higher. But, there's a good reason for it: depth.
The Pirates' young core was ranked low by Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller despite the promising talents of Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin.
The standout players in the Pirates' young core are Paul Skenes, 24, and Konnor Griffin, 20, both of whom are considered exciting prospects in MLB.
Skenes and Griffin could significantly impact the Pirates' performance this season, contributing to the team's offensive momentum and overall success.
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After Skenes and Griffin, they have Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler as their other top players in their young core.
While those are two solid players, they haven't shown nearly enough potential to help raise the Pirates' ranking on Miller's best young cores in baseball.
There are other teams that went unranked, like the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, that have a similar problem. They might have the high-end talent, but they lack the depth to make for an overall best core.
If Skenes weren't such a dominant player, the Pirates might not be inside Miller's top 10. While this 10th-place ranking from Miller feels like a slight at the Pirates, considering this ranking includes Skenes and Griffin, it does make some sense.
As good as Skenes has been, and as good as Griffin looks like he can be, the production of the rest of this core four from Chandler and Jones, while promising, isn't as elite as some other teams' young cores.