Pirates' Konnor Griffin: RBI double in major-league debut
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Griffin went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk in Friday's 5-4 win over the Orioles.
Making his much-anticipated major-league debut Friday, Griffin hit seventh in the Pittsburgh lineup and doubled home Ryan O'Hearn in his first big-league plate appearance. In his second trip to the plate, Griffin drew a five-pitch walk. Griffin later struck out and grounded out to close out his day. The shortstop doesn't turn 20 years old until later this month.
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Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Contract selected ahead of debut
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The Pirates selected Griffin's contract from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.
Griffin is set to make his major-league debut Friday during the Pirates' home opener. The expectation is that he will also receive a nine-year, $140 million contract extension, per Buster Olney of ESPN, though that has not been finalized. Griffin will take over as the Pirates' everyday shortstop after collecting a .336/.420/.530 batting line with 21 home runs and 68 stolen bases in his first 127 minor-league games.
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Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Set for MLB debut Friday
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The Pirates will call up Griffin from Triple-A Indianapolis prior to their home opener Friday versus the Orioles, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
Griffin came up just short for an Opening Day roster spot, but he will make his major-league debut as the Pirates kick off their first homestand of the season. The Pirates and Griffin have had discussions about a long-term contract extension for the 19-year-old, but while those talks will continue, Mackey says there is not currently a deal in place. Arguably the top prospect in baseball, Griffin has hit .438 with a 1.196 OPS and a 5:4 BB:K in the early going at Indianapolis. He slashed .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases across three levels in his first professional season in 2025. Griffin will take over at shortstop in Pittsburgh, shifting Jared Triolo either to third base or into more of a utility role.
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Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Talking extension with Bucs
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The Pirates are "deep into negotiations" on a contract extension with Griffin, but it's unclear how close the two sides might be toward reaching agreement on a deal, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports.
Pittsburgh has been engaged in extension talks with its top prospect since early in spring training, with Olney noting that the Pirates have offered the 19-year-old shortstop a deal in the neighborhood of the eight-year, $111 million deal that Arizona's Corbin Carroll signed in the spring of 2023. Griffin's representatives, meanwhile, have been seeking a deal more on par with the eight-year, $130 deal Roman Anthony signed with the Red Sox last August. Griffin didn't break camp with the Pirates, but after smacking four home runs over his 16 Grapefruit League games, he's continued to thrive early on at Triple-A Indianapolis. Through his first four Triple-A games, Griffin has gone 6-for-13 with three doubles, two stolen bases and a 4:4 BB:K.
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Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Reassigned to minors camp
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The Pirates reassigned Griffin to minor-league camp Saturday.
Despite being included in several roster projections, the 19-year-old will officially head back to the minors to begin the 2026 season after going 7-for-38 (.184) in spring training with four homers, nine RBI and seven runs scored. Although he missed the cut for the Opening Day roster, a promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis is certainly possible, and his MLB debut could still come in the near future if he continues to dominate minor-league pitching as he did in 2025 (.941 OPS).
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Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Pops two homers
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Griffin went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.
Griffin was hitless across his first five at-bats of Grapefruit League action, but he blasted a pair of long balls over the replica Green Monster at jetBlue Park on Tuesday. Both of those homers came on breaking balls -- the first of which was a curveball from Ranger Suarez -- and had exit velocities of 104.8 and 111.2 mph, respectively, per Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Griffin now has four flyballs measured over 104 mph this spring.
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Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Could compete for shortstop job
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The Pirates are "strongly considering" giving Griffin the opportunity to win their starting shortstop job, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Griffin slashed .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases across three levels in 2025 in his first professional season, finishing the year at Double-A Altoona. Griffin will not turn 20 until late April, and the last teenage position player to debut in the big leagues was Juan Soto in 2018. The Pirates have a clear opening at shortstop, though, and the organization is sending signals that it wants to surround ace Paul Skenes with more talent. Griffin's stock in redraft leagues will soar if it looks like the Pirates will indeed give him a real chance to crack the Opening Day roster.
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Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Heading to Double-A
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The Pirates promoted Griffin from High-A Greensboro to Double-A Altoona on Sunday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Griffin will receive his second promotion of the season after a dominant showing during his time in the South Atlantic League. Over 51 games with Greensboro, Griffin slashed .325/.432/.510 with seven home runs and 33 stolen bases across 234 plate appearances. Since being selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, the 19-year-old shortstop has quickly established himself as arguably baseball's top prospect, and he could be on track to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026.
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Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Moving up to High-A
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The Pirates are set to promote Griffin from Single-A Bradenton to High-A Greensboro during the upcoming week, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Griffin is ready for a stiffer challenge after an excellent showing in the Florida State League to begin the season. Over his 50 games with Bradenton, the 19-year-old shortstop slashed .338/.396/.536 with nine home runs and 26 stolen bases.
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Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Power, speed at Single-A
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Griffin is hitting .253 with five home runs, 11 steals, a 5.6 percent walk rate and a 30.8 percent strikeout rate in 23 games for Single-A Bradenton.
A premium 6-foot-4, 225-pound athlete who has started 15 games at shortstop and four games in center field so far this season, Griffin has essentially performed up to expectations, showcasing plus power, plus-plus speed and a hit tool that needs some work. While his 0.18 BB/K is far from ideal and he's got seven strikeouts in his last four games, Griffin's strengths have overshadowed his weaknesses in the early going.
