Whether Konnor Griffin should be the Pittsburgh Pirates’ shortstop on opening day next year depends on who you ask.
Some talent evaluators believe Griffin, who will still be 19 when next season begins, is ready for the big leagues now. They point to him as the consensus Minor League Player of the Year this past season and as the best prospect in baseball.
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Other evaluators feel the Pirates might be jumping the gun if they start Griffin in the majors. Their rationale is that he has played just 21 games at the Double-A level and needs more time in the minors before making the jump to MLB.
The decision on where Griffin begins the 2026 season ultimately rests with Pirates general manager Ben Cherington. He admits the decision could be difficult, but Griffin will likely get a chance to make the big-league club in spring training.
“We’re obviously incredibly excited that he’s a Pirate, but there’s still more to learn,” Cherington said. “He hasn’t played above Double-A. So, I do think we do need to be careful with it. This is a player that’s really important to the Pirates. It’s important to him, too, that he’s set up to have the longest, best career possible for him.
“We have some influence on that in terms of how we guide the next months, years of his entry into the big leagues, however long that takes. And, sometimes with young players, sometimes there are unusual young players that don’t follow all the rules. We just don’t know yet where that’s going to take us. I think we’ll keep assessing that moving forward, and we’ll keep learning from him.”
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Griffin certainly learned in his first season of professional baseball after the Pirates selected him in the first round with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft from Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood, Miss. He hit .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases in 122 games combined with Low-A Bradenton, High-A Greensboro, and Double-A Altoona while committing just seven errors in 89 games at shortstop.
Griffin, though, is as grounded as any teenager can be. He began looking ahead to 2026, the day after the 2025 season ended.
“I think the thing that has stood out about him is, to the very end of the season, is his desire to keep getting better to the very last day of the season and showing up wanting to work on something,” Cherington said.