The Pittsburgh Pirates called up MLB No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin ahead of their six-game home stand, which begins Friday.
The Pirates made a shocking decision to assign Griffin to the minors after he had a solid spring training, hitting four homers and tallying nine RBIs through 16 games. He got off to an amazing start in Triple-A, slashing .438/.571/.625 with three doubles and three stolen bases through five games.
Ahead of his debut, Griffin is set to be the first teenager to play in MLB since Juan Soto in 2018, as well as the first teenager to play in one of their team’s first seven games since Adrian Beltre in 1999.
The Pirates have already engaged in contract negotiations with Griffin ahead of his debut, with both sides’ valuations sitting well into nine digits, per ESPN.
A 2024 first-round pick, Griffin played his first full season of professional baseball in 2025 and rose from Single-A to Double-A during the campaign. Across the three levels he at which he played, Griffin posted a .942 OPS through 122 games with 21 home runs and 94 RBIs.
Can the Pirates Win Now With Griffin’s Addition?
While the Pirates have been rooted to the bottom of the NL Central for the past couple of years, an active offseason made them an interesting case.
They obviously have the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year and 2025 NL Cy Young award winner Paul Skenes spearheading their rotation, and have solid pieces behind him with players like veteran Mitch Keller and another promising young talent in Bubba Chandler.
As far as their lineup goes, they added All-Stars Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna over the offseason to add an extra layer of power after their poor offensive showings last season. Josh Lowe also joined the Pirates during the winter, and has been a bright spot for the offense early in the season.
Along with established players like Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, the Pirates have the potential to be a fun team this year, but whether or not they’ll contend is a different story.
How Have the Pirates Performed So Far?
The Pirates currently have a 3-3 record, still placing them at the bottom of the NL Central, but they’re nowhere near as hopeless as in 2025.
After a rough Opening Day loss defined by defensive miscues and a pitiful offensive showing in their second game of the season, the Pirates pieced together a 4-3 win over the Mets to close their first series of the season.
They then traveled to Cincinnati to face their division rivals in the Reds, and took two of three games, scoring eight in each of the final two games of the series.
The Pirates may still be a piece or two away from really contending, but have an exciting squad which is sure to draw some eyes over the course of the season.
What do you think of Konnor Griffin leading into his debut?
