The Pittsburgh Pirates have their first Spring Training game of 2026 on Saturday, when they face the Baltimore Orioles.
That could be top prospect Konnor Griffin’s first taste of facing big league pitching this year with a chance at cracking the Pirates’ Opening Day roster.
Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette raved about Griffin recently, saying that “It’s absolutely crazy” that the shortstop is only 19 years old.
The insider continued his praise of the teenager in his “10 thoughts from 10 days at Pirate City before Grapefruit League action starts” column on Friday.
Mackey’s first note was that “the Griffin hype is real.”
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“Konnor Griffin, the top prospect in baseball, hit several buildings at Pirate City during batting practice, which became appointment viewing for pretty much everyone. My personal favorite was Griffin, still only 19, clearing the batter’s eye a few days ago, a homer that went at least 450 feet and probably more,” the beat writer said. “It’s something I’ve not seen anyone else here ever do.”
The former ninth overall draft pick finished the 2025 campaign with 21 home runs, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases, along with a .333/.415/.527 slash line across 484 at-bats covering 122 games between Low-A Bradenton, High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona.
“Griffin passed every available test during this stage,” Mackey wrote. “Now, it’s time to see how games inform our opinions on whether he’ll make the opening day roster. But it’s impossible not to pay attention to the kid.”
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