The Pirates’ home opener vs. the Orioles on Friday (4:12 p.m. ET, MLB.TV) will be even more special, as the club intends to promote top prospect Konnor Griffin from Triple-A Indianapolis, tabbing the 19-year-old to improve production at shortstop while acknowledging an impressive developmental response.
The move is also happening because Griffin is the Pirates' best available option at an important position, a player who responded to adversity in an ideal way when he was reassigned to Minor League camp on March 21.
In his first 16 at-bats at Triple-A, Griffin accumulated seven hits, including three doubles, for a .438 average and 1.196 OPS. That also includes five walks against just four strikeouts.
Better swing decisions was something the Pirates wanted to see out of Griffin, who admitted to pressing some in Spring Training, trying to make a positive impression but also being unable to hit the fastball and chasing stuff out of the zone.
It was uncharacteristic of Griffin, who mashed fastballs in 2025 and generally displayed a mature-beyond-his-years level of plate discipline.
As a result, Griffin hit just .171 in 16 Grapefruit League games, his four home runs mitigated by a 10-game stretch to close where he batted .148 with 11 strikeouts in 27 at-bats.
The Pirates, who were open to Griffin making the big club from the jump, wanted to see how the youngster would respond. Meanwhile, Griffin took the move about as maturely as one could possibly, talking about seeing the positives, getting back to being the best version of himself and focusing on the work.
“It was tough because I felt like I was so close,” Griffin said. “But I also now have a little more time to prepare. I can get back to doing what I do.”
A credit to Griffin, that’s exactly what he did. He got on base, showed poise in the batter’s box and used his speed on the bases, positively affecting the game a number of ways.
Now, at such an incredibly young age, he’s about to realize his dream of playing in the big leagues.
Griffin’s arrival does not immediately coincide with a contract extension, although those talks have continued with interest on both sides. It’s also not a stretch to think having the 2024 first-round pick around the big club could potentially help the chances of something getting done.
But the biggest driving factor with the move remains baseball, Griffin's response and getting more production out of shortstop.
The Pirates opened the season with Jared Triolo in that spot and also used Nick Gonzales some. But through six games, Pirates shortstops have a .546 OPS, 17th in MLB. Defensively, only the White Sox (-3) have been worse than the Pirates (-2) in FanGraphs’ calculation of defensive runs saved.
With a better option available, the Pirates aren’t waiting around to make a bold move. They want to win now. Griffin will help them do that.
After all, we’re talking about someone who has ascended to top-prospect status in every major publication. Griffin has been pegged a phenom, a generational talent and someone who requires historical context when it comes to making the big leagues at such a young age.
While zooming through three levels last season, Griffin batted .333 with a .942 OPS in 122 games, compiling 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, 117 runs scored and 65 stolen bases. He was everyone’s Minor League player of the year.
Griffin won a Gold Glove at shortstop and can also hit for huge power, as evidenced by his must-see batting practice this spring at Pirate City. During those sessions, he routinely launched balls off the batting cages, dormitories and over the batter’s eye.
Most impressive, though, Griffin never let it get to his head. He stayed humble, focused on the work and tried to be a sponge -- a phrase he repeated a bunch in Florida.
“I’ve still got to work super hard every single day, so nothing's going to change whether I'm here or I'm trying to work through my professional career in the big leagues,” Griffin said in February. “I’m going to continue to try to be the best player every single day and work toward being a Hall of Fame-type player. That's definitely the goal.”
After Griffin has shown the Pirates he can handle adversity and with the team wanting to leave no performance-related stone unturned, here comes the biggest reinforcement they could possibly summon for the home opener.
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH.