{"id":610213,"date":"2026-04-17T12:48:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T12:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/610213\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T12:48:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T12:48:08","slug":"konnor-griffins-maturity-making-an-impression-on-pittsburgh-pirates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/610213\/","title":{"rendered":"Konnor Griffin’s maturity making an impression on Pittsburgh Pirates"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Konnor Griffin faced Mason Miller<\/a> last week, the 19-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates<\/a> rookie got a clear message that he wasn\u2019t in the minor leagues or playing high school baseball in Mississippi anymore.<\/p>\n

The star San Diego Padres<\/a> closer blew away Griffin with triple-digit heat and a pair of nasty sliders. It was a welcome to the big leagues moment — but Griffin, in just his sixth career game, handled it like he belongs here.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a tough at-bat, but that was a great experience,\u201d Griffin told ESPN. \u201cThere\u2019s not many closers that are better than that. It was good for me to jot something down on the notepad and learn from it for the next time.\u201d<\/p>\n

He struck out on five pitches, three of which were over 100 mph. But it was a slider that finished him, proving to be the separator from anything else the game\u2019s newest budding star had seen before.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I\u2019ve done it,\u201d an undeterred Griffin said. \u201cI have info I can use to my advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Griffin sounds more mature than most 19-year-olds, that\u2019s because he is. He\u2019ll need to be, considering the faith the Pirates have put in him: He\u2019s the starting shortstop on a team with some early buzz — and he just signed a nine-year, $140 million contract. But the youngest player in the game is up for the challenge — and continues to impress his teammates as he proves it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely different being young, but we all have the same jobs,\u201d Griffin said. \u201cWhen you have that common goal, it doesn\u2019t matter your age or experience; it\u2019s about getting the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin\u2019s teammates hemmed and hawed when asked for any daily reminders that he\u2019s still just a teenager. His music references? Fast-food orders? A video game obsession? Most players couldn\u2019t recall anything that speaks to his age.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing that\u2019s happened where I\u2019m like, \u2018That\u2019s just a kid,\u2019\u201d 31-year-old veteran Bryan Reynolds<\/a> said. \u201cHe has his life together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Outfielder Jake Mangum<\/a> said with a laugh: \u201cThe fact that we graduated from the same high school but a decade apart is all the reminder I need. When he walks up to the plate, and they show his date of birth as 2006, it\u2019s just like, ‘Oh my gosh.'”<\/p>\n

Reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes<\/a> found one thing that spoke to Griffin\u2019s youth: Skenes noted Griffin\u2019s concern about how his teammates would feel after he signed a megadeal before playing an inning in the big leagues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s something that other people wouldn\u2019t be worried about,\u201d Skenes said with a smile. \u201cEveryone realizes it\u2019s part of the game. That question was kind of funny. That\u2019s a reminder that he hasn\u2019t been here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Skenes admitted, even that could be viewed as a mature level of thinking: Griffin cares about his teammates more than many young players might in a similar situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow many people think like that?\u201d Pirates manager Don Kelly asked. \u201cMost are thinking how can I get mine? And he\u2019s thinking about other people as a teammate.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you ask those teammates, his maturity is translating to his play at shortstop, even as he continues to find his way at the plate, where he\u2019s 9-for-42 with six RBIs to start his career. Despite a key error in a loss on Thursday, his glovework has been solid.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis defense has impressed me the most,\u201d veteran first baseman\/outfielder Ryan O\u2019Hearn said. \u201cHe hasn\u2019t done one single thing that I was like, \u2018Yeah, he\u2019s 19.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Griffin brings a youthful spark to the Pirates that has reached every corner of the clubhouse, even its eldest member, 35-year-old designated hitter Marcell Ozuna<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYesterday, he said, \u2018Let me rub your head\u2019 to get a hit,\u201d Ozuna recalled with a laugh. \u201cI said, \u2018OK.\u2019 His energy reminds me of when I was his age.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before a game at Wrigley Field last weekend, Griffin was asked when he most feels his age.<\/p>\n

\u201cActually, when they were showing [former Cub] Ben Zobrist clips [on the scoreboard],\u201d Griffin said. \u201cThat reminded me of sitting on the couch watching him in the World Series. It\u2019s pretty crazy playing on that same field now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin was 9 years old when Chicago and Cleveland faced off in the 2016 World Series. In a that-will-make-you-feel-old moment, Griffin — who will turn 20 next Friday — said it\u2019s the first World Series he can remember watching.<\/p>\n

Skenes said the team will \u201cdo something\u201d for Griffin\u2019s birthday, but isn\u2019t sure what to get a 20-year-old.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t get him booze,\u201d Skenes said, laughing. \u201cWe\u2019ll do that in a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin is breaking into the major leagues at a time when the Pirates might make some noise in the NL.<\/p>\n

It has been more than a decade since Pittsburgh reached the playoffs, frustrating its fan base and bringing criticism to owner Bob Nutting. A mini spending spree this winter, combined with the addition of Griffin and the greatness of Skenes, has brought hope to the Steel City. Off to a good start, the Pirates are building confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely the best team we\u2019ve had,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cI feel like we\u2019ve had some good starts in the past but just kind of a fluke more than anything. This team is good. We have a good lineup and good pitching.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the whole age spectrum mapped out. Everyone vibes well. There\u2019s no look-at-me guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

At just 23 years old, Skenes — similar to Griffin — might be considered more mature than his age would suggest. Skenes has certainly experienced more success than most in his young career, which began at the United States Air Force Academy, followed by a College World Series championship at LSU, an NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2024 and last year\u2019s Cy Young. He\u2019s ready for the Pirates to start winning.<\/p>\n

\u201cResults aside, I\u2019m excited about the group,\u201d Skenes said. \u201cWe have winning character in that room, top to bottom, that I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve had in the past.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my third year on the team. It\u2019s been a grindy couple of years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pressed on what it might feel like to win in Pittsburgh, Skenes paused, undoubtedly recalling his past and noting that a desire to win isn\u2019t a given.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was thinking about it the other day,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re playing baseball, it\u2019s really hard to figure out how much you want to win until you\u2019ve won something, until you\u2019ve had a taste for it. You don\u2019t know what it feels like.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019ve learned over the past couple of years is winning is winning. Whatever level. Winning organizations do the same thing. This team has that. We\u2019re getting a taste of it. Every game matters. Everyone is playing like every game matters, which is refreshing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin\u2019s promotion and new contract are the most recent signs that the Pirates of 2026 want to be different. Skenes and his teammates have heard stories of PNC Park at its best. It can be one of the louder stadiums in the game, but the Pirates haven\u2019t been relevant enough lately to display it. Could this mixture of young and old do the trick?<\/p>\n

It has so far, as the Pirates are 11-8 and tied for the NL Central lead, coming off a series win against the Cubs at Wrigley Field last weekend and a split this week against the Washington Nationals<\/a>, in which Griffin hit his first career triple. Pittsburgh\u2019s two close victories in Chicago led to raucous postgame celebrations with Pirates dads who had accompanied their sons on the road trip — including Griffin\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so cool to see the team atmosphere after a win,\u201d the younger Griffin said.<\/p>\n

The Pirates envision plenty more opportunities for them and their families to revel in that atmosphere — and Griffin is a large part of the reason. He has shown he\u2019s ready for the challenge, but the teenager from Flowood, Mississippi, which has a population of 10,202, is still just 13 games into his major league career and getting used to big league life.<\/p>\n

Besides facing the best competition in the world, he was asked what else has made him feel like he has finally arrived?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe luxury of everything,\u201d Griffin said with a smile. \u201cThe charter flights, staying in nice hotels. It\u2019s all the nice things. It makes you want to stay here and continue to take advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Konnor Griffin faced Mason Miller last week, the 19-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates rookie got a clear message that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":610214,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,462,126693,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-610213","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-mlb","11":"tag-pittsburgh-pirates-sports-baseball-team-team-statscom-247","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=610213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610213\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/610214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=610213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=610213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=610213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}