The Pittsburgh Pirates‘ off day on Thursday was anything but quiet. They announced that they are already promoting their top prospect, Konnor Griffin, after just five games at Triple-A. He will make his Major League debut during the Pirates’ home opener against the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on Friday.

This is massively exciting news for Pittsburgh fans. Griffin is MLB’s consensus No. 1 prospect and one of the most exciting players in baseball with his off-the-charts athleticism and five-tool ability. The 19-year-old shortstop is a generational talent with Hall of Fame potential.

Pirates fans aren’t the only ones looking forward to Griffin’s debut, either. MLB Network’s MLB Central crew could barely contain their excitement after the news broke on Thursday morning.

 

“I had never seen an athlete look like this… Pirates games just got a lot more interesting.”#MLBCentral reacts to MLB’s No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin getting the call to The Show. https://t.co/cjaJdMaS22 pic.twitter.com/sqGswOJTQn

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 2, 2026

 

“I had a chance to meet this guy at 16, 17 years old and spend some time with him,” said former MLB player Mark DeRosa, who just managed Team USA and Pirates ace Paul Skenes in the World Baseball Classic. “It was ridiculous. I had never seen an athlete look like this… I thought he should have been the first pick.”

DeRosa believes Griffin has an incredibly bright future and can’t wait to see what he does in a Pittsburgh uniform.

“You bet on the character and you bet on the tool set. And there’s like two people in the league that have these tools. It’s crazy. Better makeup,” DeRosa added. “He changes what they’re about. Listen, he could struggle, but eventually he’s gonna figure it out and he is gonna be a franchise pillar for this organization… Pirates games just got a lot more interesting.”

Between Griffin, Skenes and Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh will have some of the sport’s best athletes on the field at the same time. Accordingly, there should be plenty of highlights to look forward to this summer.

More MLB: Former MLB GM Wants Historic Contract Extension For Konnor Griffin