The Detroit Tigers' Kevin McGonigle follows his fly-out against the Braves in the first inning on April 30 in Atlanta. (AP file photo)

PHOENIX — Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Konnor Griffin stepped to the plate on Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks and ripped a 110.1 mph laser high off the center-field wall at Chase Field, cruising into second base for a double.

D-backs manager Torey Lovullo’s jaw dropped almost to the dugout floor.

“Twenty years old and driving the ball off the center field wall,” Lovullo said. “Let’s go back to being 20 years old. I was just getting hair under my armpits, and this guy’s in a big-league baseball game. It’s impressive.”

Griffin — who just turned 20 a few weeks ago — is part of an MLB rookie class that’s made an instant impact as the calendar turns to May. He’s batting .256 with two homers, 16 RBIs and is 8 for 8 on stolen bases, all while playing shortstop at a high level for a Pirates team that has a 21-17 record.

No wonder the Pirates were comfortable handing him a $140 million, nine-year deal in April.

Lovullo has been the manager of the D-backs for 10 seasons and said he’s noticed a huge difference in the readiness of young players when they get to the big leagues.

The data backs that up, too. As measured by Wins Above Replacement, three of the five most productive classes of rookie hitters since 1950 graduated in the past four years, in 2023 (67.5 WAR), 2022 (53.7) and 2024 (49). Through Thursday’s games, this year’s class is on pace for 47, which would rank fifth.

Here’s a look at some of the other top rookies in the big leagues through the season’s first month and a half:

• Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit — The 21-year-old made the big-league club with a strong spring performance and continues to impress, batting .299 with two homers, 16 RBIs and an .845 OPS while splitting time between shortstop and third baseman. He’s been arguably the best player on a Tigers’ team that’s otherwise underachieved so far this year. That’s exactly why the franchise was comfortable signing him to a $150 million, eight-year deal in April.

• JJ Wetherholt, 2B, St. Louis — Another highly-regarded prospect who was the No. 7 overall pick in 2024 out of West Virginia, Wetherholt has popped seven homers for a Cardinals team that’s been a pleasant surprise in the NL Central.

• Chase DeLauter, OF, Cleveland — DeLauter actually made his MLB debut last season when he became one of the few players in big league history to get his first call-up in the playoffs. So far this spring, he’s showed why the Guardians had enough confidence to bring him up for those pressure-packed games, batting .306 with six homers and 23 RBIs.

• Munetaka Murikami, 1B, Chicago White Sox — The veteran Japanese slugger has made an instant impact in the big leagues, crushing 14 homers in just 37 games. He needs to cut down on the strikeouts and may never consistently hit for high average, but there’s no doubt the power is legit and he’s still just 26 years old.

• Kazuma Okamoto, 3B, Toronto — The 29-year-old is older than all of the other players on this list and had a slow start while making the transition from Japan. But he’s picked up the pace over the past few weeks and is batting .246 with 10 homers and 23 RBIs.

• Sal Stewart, 1B, Cincinnati — The 22-year-old made a good impression during a short stint last season and has continued to hit in the big leagues so far this spring. Playing mostly first base, he’s batting .245 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs.

• Nolan McLean, RHP, New York Mets — The Mets have been one of the biggest disappointments in the big leagues, but McLean has been one of few bright spots. He dazzled in an eight-start cameo last season and has pitched well so far in 2026.

• Parker Messick, LHP, Cleveland — The Florida State product has been one of the best pitchers in the American League this season with a 3-1 record and a 2.40 ERA through seven starts.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB