Griffin Conine

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #27 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Conine was drafted by Toronto in 2018, then traded to Miami in 2020. Conine is best known for his power, and he spent all summer battling with Royals prospect M.J. Melendez for the minor league home run lead.
  
  Scouting Report: Obviously, Conine has a ton of power. His raw juice grades as nearly double-plus, and his maximum exit velocity of 116 mph was the second-highest in the organization. The next step will be to add some hittability to that immense power. Marlins player development staff acknowledge that Conine has holes he needs to close at the top of the strike zone and against offspeed pitches away so he can be more than a player who pulverizes fastballs. Defensively, he needs to improve his routes, jumps and angles to the ball and also needs to do better when it comes to setting his feet before throwing to bases. He’s a below-average runner.
  
  The Future: Conine is likely to return to Double-A Pensacola to continue working on becoming a more complete hitter while also sharpening his outfield defense. His power is alluring, but there’s a long way to go before it will play at the highest level.
  
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #19 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: The son of "Mr. Marlin" Jeff Conine joined his father's former team when the Blue Jays traded him to the Marlins for Jonathan Villar at the 2020 trade deadline. Conine was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for the stimulant ritalinic acid the previous year, but still led the low Class A Midwest League with 22 home runs despite playing just 80 games.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Conine has used his quick bat and plus raw power to display plus power to all fields at every stop. The amount he swings and misses is alarming, however, with a 36% strikeout rate against low Class A competition. Conine primarily struggles when pitchers attack him up in the zone. He did show improvement during instructional league in 2020, but he still projects as a fringe-average hitter, at best. Conine is a below-average runner but covers enough ground to be an average defender in right field.
  
  THE FUTURE: Conine will be challenged by better pitching in 2021. How he handles it will determine if he can hit enough to be an everyday major leaguer.
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #16 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: The son of former Marlins outfielder Jeff Conine, Griffin looked like a potential first-round pick as he entered his junior year at Duke. He didn't live up to those expectations, dropping him to the second round in 2018, and after the season he tested positive for the stimulant ritalinic acid, prompting a suspension for the first 50 games of the 2019 season. Conine played just 80 games but still led the low Class A Midwest League with 22 home runs, with a .576 slugging average that was 97 points above the next qualified hitter.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Conine has a straightforward profile: gigantic power with a lot of strikeouts. Conine is strong, has fast bat speed and plus-plus raw power. Conine clobbers the ball when he connects, especially when he gets a pitch in the middle to lower part of the strike zone. But Conine's swing also has holes and he swings and misses too often on pitches in the strike zone, especially when pitchers attack him up, leading to a 36-percent strikeout rate, a significant red flag for a college hitter in low Class A.
  
  THE FUTURE: He showed more plate patience than he did the previous year, so if Conine can cut his swing-and-miss rate, he could have success as a three true outcomes player. He's a below-average runner with a plus arm in right field. He will head to high Class A Dunedin to begin 2020.
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #15 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: With Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette potentially graduating to the majors in 2019, the Blue Jays restocked their stash of prospects whose dads played in the big leagues by drafting Conine in 2018. The son of former Marlins outfielder Jeff Conine, Griffin entered his junior year at Duke as a potential first-round pick, but an underwhelming spring dropped him to the second round.
  
  Scouting Report: Conine's best tool is his plus power, which he generates with an impressive combination of strength and bat speed. Conine's power has shown up in games, but his elevated swing-and-miss rate raised red flags in college. Conine didn't do anything to quiet those concerns in pro ball after striking out in 27 percent of his plate appearances with short-season Vancouver. Conine isn't a free-swinger, but he will have to make an adjustment to swing at better pitches to keep his whiffs to a reasonable level. Conine is a below-average runner and defender who has a plus arm that fits in right field.
  
  The Future: If Conine can bounce back in 2019, he has the upside to be an everyday right fielder. Low Class A Lansing is his next step after he serves a 50-game suspension for testing positive for ritalinic acid.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #50 prospect in 2018 draft
  The son of two-time All-Star and 17-year major league veteran Jeff Conine, Griffin entered the spring as one of the best college power hitters in the 2018 class. He hit 13 home runs during his sophomore season with Duke and had a loud summer in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .329/.406/.537 with nine home runs in 42 games. His junior campaign has been disappointing, however, as Conine hit just .211/.344/.436 through his first 38 games with significant strikeout concerns. In that same span of games, Conine has struck out 45 times (27.6 percent) and has struggled to make contact with offspeed offerings of varying quality, frequently expanding his zone and swinging over the top of pitches below the strike zone. When he does hit the ball, he usually hits it hard. The plus raw power that he possesses hasn't disappeared, as evidenced by a laser beam home run that he hit in March against Virginia--which left the bat at 111 mph with an 18-degree launch angle. Conine's impressive summer on the Cape and bloodlines will keep him in consideration as a day one selection, but his swing-and-miss concerns have only grown as he's striking out at the worst rate in his career. As an outfielder limited to a corner, much of his value will come from his bat. Some scouts even wonder if Conine might eventually have to move to first base, although he does possess an above-average to plus arm.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Conine was drafted by Toronto in 2018, then traded to Miami in 2020. Conine is best known for his power, and he spent all summer battling with Royals prospect M.J. Melendez for the minor league home run lead.
  
  Scouting Report: Obviously, Conine has a ton of power. His raw juice grades as nearly double-plus, and his maximum exit velocity of 116 mph was the second-highest in the organization. The next step will be to add some hittability to that immense power. Marlins player development staff acknowledge that Conine has holes he needs to close at the top of the strike zone and against offspeed pitches away so he can be more than a player who pulverizes fastballs. Defensively, he needs to improve his routes, jumps and angles to the ball and also needs to do better when it comes to setting his feet before throwing to bases. He’s a below-average runner.
  
  The Future: Conine is likely to return to Double-A Pensacola to continue working on becoming a more complete hitter while also sharpening his outfield defense. His power is alluring, but there’s a long way to go before it will play at the highest level.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The son of "Mr. Marlin" Jeff Conine joined his father's former team when the Blue Jays traded him to the Marlins for Jonathan Villar at the 2020 trade deadline. Conine was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for the stimulant ritalinic acid the previous year, but still led the low Class A Midwest League with 22 home runs despite playing just 80 games.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Conine has used his quick bat and plus raw power to display plus power to all fields at every stop. The amount he swings and misses is alarming, however, with a 36% strikeout rate against low Class A competition. Conine primarily struggles when pitchers attack him up in the zone. He did show improvement during instructional league in 2020, but he still projects as a fringe-average hitter, at best. Conine is a below-average runner but covers enough ground to be an average defender in right field.
  
  THE FUTURE: Conine will be challenged by better pitching in 2021. How he handles it will determine if he can hit enough to be an everyday major leaguer.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The son of "Mr. Marlin" Jeff Conine joined his father's former team when the Blue Jays traded him to the Marlins for Jonathan Villar at the 2020 trade deadline. Conine was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for the stimulant ritalinic acid the previous year, but still led the low Class A Midwest League with 22 home runs despite playing just 80 games.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Conine has used his quick bat and plus raw power to display plus power to all fields at every stop. The amount he swings and misses is alarming, however, with a 36% strikeout rate against low Class A competition. Conine primarily struggles when pitchers attack him up in the zone. He did show improvement during instructional league in 2020, but he still projects as a fringe-average hitter, at best. Conine is a below-average runner but covers enough ground to be an average defender in right field.
  
  THE FUTURE: Conine will be challenged by better pitching in 2021. How he handles it will determine if he can hit enough to be an everyday major leaguer.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The son of "Mr. Marlin" Jeff Conine joined his father's former team when the Blue Jays traded him to the Marlins for Jonathan Villar at the 2020 trade deadline. Conine was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for the stimulant ritalinic acid the previous year, but still led the low Class A Midwest League with 22 home runs despite playing just 80 games.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Conine has used his quick bat and plus raw power to display plus power to all fields at every stop. The amount he swings and misses is alarming, however, with a 36% strikeout rate against low Class A competition. Conine primarily struggles when pitchers attack him up in the zone. He did show improvement during instructional league in 2020, but he still projects as a fringe-average hitter, at best. Conine is a below-average runner but covers enough ground to be an average defender in right field.
  
  THE FUTURE: Conine will be challenged by better pitching in 2021. How he handles it will determine if he can hit enough to be an everyday major leaguer.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The son of former Marlins outfielder Jeff Conine, Griffin looked like a potential first-round pick as he entered his junior year at Duke. He didn’t live up to those expectations, dropping him to the second round in 2018, and after the season he tested positive for the stimulant ritalinic acid, prompting a suspension for the first 50 games of the 2019 season. Conine played just 80 games but still led the low Class A Midwest League with 22 home runs, with a .576 slugging average that was 97 points above the next qualified hitter. BA GRADE 55 Risk: Extreme BA GRADE 55 Risk: Extreme BA GRADE 50 Risk: Very High
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Conine has a straightforward profile: gigantic power with a lot of strikeouts. Conine is strong, has fast bat speed and plus-plus raw power. Conine clobbers the ball when he connects, especially when he gets a pitch in the middle to lower part of the strike zone. But Conine’s swing also has holes and he swings and misses too often on pitches in the strike zone, especially when pitchers attack him up, leading to a 36-percent strikeout rate, a significant red flag for a college hitter in low Class A.
  
  THE FUTURE: He showed more plate patience than he did the previous year, so if Conine can cut his swing-and-miss rate, he could have success as a three true outcomes player. He’s a below-average runner with a plus arm in right field. He will head to high Class A Dunedin to begin 2020.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The son of former Marlins outfielder Jeff Conine, Griffin looked like a potential first-round pick as he entered his junior year at Duke. He didn't live up to those expectations, dropping him to the second round in 2018, and after the season he tested positive for the stimulant ritalinic acid, prompting a suspension for the first 50 games of the 2019 season. Conine played just 80 games but still led the low Class A Midwest League with 22 home runs, with a .576 slugging average that was 97 points above the next qualified hitter.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Conine has a straightforward profile: gigantic power with a lot of strikeouts. Conine is strong, has fast bat speed and plus-plus raw power. Conine clobbers the ball when he connects, especially when he gets a pitch in the middle to lower part of the strike zone. But Conine's swing also has holes and he swings and misses too often on pitches in the strike zone, especially when pitchers attack him up, leading to a 36-percent strikeout rate, a significant red flag for a college hitter in low Class A.
  
  THE FUTURE: He showed more plate patience than he did the previous year, so if Conine can cut his swing-and-miss rate, he could have success as a three true outcomes player. He's a below-average runner with a plus arm in right field. He will head to high Class A Dunedin to begin 2020.