MILWAUKEE -- Konnor Griffin just received the best birthday present of his life. But sadly, it wasn’t a bounce house.
The no-longer-a-teenager cranked his first Major League home run to the opposite field in the third inning -- right into the Pirates’ bullpen to a mass of cheering relievers -- on what was just the icing on the cake to Griffin’s 20th birthday.
The homer symbolized a lot for Griffin, who was drafted No. 9 in the 2024 Draft, then played a full season in the Minors last year and five games this season before his electric MLB debut.
Things have started slow since an RBI double in his debut put the league on notice of Griffin’s arrival. But after setting career bests in hits (three) and RBIs (three) in the Pirates’ 6-0 win over the Brewers at American Family Field, Griffin is starting to figure it out.
That’s just part of growing up.
“He couldn’t do it when he was a teenager, I guess, and wanted to wait until he turned 20. It’s good to see. First of many,” said Paul Skenes, who took a perfect game into the seventh inning. “Glad he got it out of the way. The league better be on notice, because he’s coming.”
Skenes pranked Jake Mangum with an elaborate cake for his birthday earlier this year, and although every kid enjoys a good bounce house, the logistics just didn’t quite work out for that type of celebration for Griffin on Friday night. Skenes promised to have something in the works for his 21st next year, though.
“I had talked with Mangum about doing something for Konnor,” Skenes said, “but a bouncy house would have been a little tough in the clubhouse, so. That was the idea that was thrown out. … I mean, he turned 20. Big whoop. Who cares.”
It was the first of many jokes the Pirates played on Griffin on his special day, the most noticeable being the silent treatment when Griffin returned to the dugout after his first career homer.
But that didn’t ruin the party. Griffin simply put on the Pirates’ celebratory welding mask and high-fived the air. This was his birthday, after all.
“Foggy mask, just giving high-fives to nobody, it’s kind of boring,” Griffin joked. “But when everybody celebrated with me after the treatment was over, that was pretty cool.”
Skenes added: “That’s how it needs to be. Especially on your birthday. I mean, that’s a special moment. … I’m not a hitter. I can only imagine how cool that is, so glad he got that.”
The moment and celebration were a clear indication of just how different things are in this version of the Pirates’ clubhouse. The vibes are high, the team is clicking and the now-20-year-old is fitting right in despite starting slower than he wanted. Entering Friday, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect was batting just .182 in his first 19 games, but the Pirates knew this type of performance was coming.
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“I’m sure everybody had a blast watching that, the way Paul was pitching. Then for Konnor to break out like that, we can’t say 19 anymore. He’s 20,” manager Don Kelly said. “But the way he’s handled everything going through this, to see him stay in the moment and be able to drive the ball the other way like he’s capable of.”
Griffin smacked an opposite-field single in the fifth inning and stole second base before driving in a pair of runs on a single to center in the eighth.
It’s those types of at-bats the Pirates are most excited about. Griffin may be 20 years old now, but he’s nowhere near reaching his full potential.
“For a young kid who’s learning how to play at the Major League level, five games in Triple-A under his belt, you can get caught up in that easily,” Kelly said. “The way he’s ran the bases, the way he’s played defense. … He’s helped us win in so many ways.”
Griffin is just the fourth player to hit a homer on his birthday at age 20 or younger, joining Aramis Ramirez (1998 also with the Pirates), Buddy Lewis (1936) and Fred Carroll (1884). He's the eighth player in the Wild Card era (since 1994) to hit his first career home run on his birthday, the 25th player overall to do so and the youngest.
Being included in rare baseball lists like that is a cool birthday gift, too.
“Hopefully first of many,” Griffin said. “It was cool to get it done tonight, have the first one under the belt. Now just continue to stack winning days and hopefully a lot more to come.”