Konnor Griffin & Seth Hernandez Changing Pittsburgh? Justin Horowitz Talks Amateur Scouting

Pirates director of amateur scouting Justin Horowitz joins North Shore Nine to break down the 2025 draft and the philosophy driving Pittsburgh’s pipeline. He explains why the draft is “our Super Bowl,” details the conviction behind selecting Konnor Griffin, and unpacks how Seth Hernandez fell to No. 6—covering the traits the Pirates prioritize (athleticism, repeatable delivery, strike-throwing, decision quality) and how PD/R&D fold into every pick. Horowitz also discusses Angel Cervantes’ decision to attend UCLA and what the protected 2026 comp pick (#51) means, plus late-round value plays (hello, LSU masher Jared Jones). Inside the room: board prep vs. day-of chaos, bonus-pool math, who makes the final call, and why drafting for “need” isn’t the strategy. He closes with thoughts on MLB Pipeline’s #2 draft ranking and a very Pittsburgh take on French fries. If you enjoy Pirates draft/development talk, like & subscribe, drop your questions in the comments, and catch our full library at northshorenine.com. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ZY250XUYiS-yX7xOQCdLA/join Use Promo Code NS9 for 30% off your first order at https://www.gritily.com Use Promo Code NORTHSHORENINE for $20 off your first order at https://www.seatgeek.com LIKE and SUBSCRIBE with NOTIFICATIONS ON if you enjoyed the show! NS9 MERCH: https://northshorenine.myspreadshop.com ►Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NorthShoreNine ►Website: https://www.northshorenine.com ►Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/northshorenine ►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northshorenine ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northshorenine ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northshorenine ►Discord: https://discord.gg/3HVYPg544m ►BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/northshorenine.bsky.social Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.