The Pittsburgh Pirates offence is set to receive a major boost as the club plans to call up top prospect Konnor Griffin ahead of their home opener on Friday.
Griffin is set to become the first teenage position player to make his MLB debut since Juan Soto broke into the league back in 2018. Sources indicate that Pittsburgh is deep in talks with the number 1 prospect in all of baseball’s camp on a long term extension, meaning that the move is a permanent one, and not just a temporary fix.
According to reports, the Pirates are hoping to use Colt Emerson’s deal with Seattle as a comparable, whereas Griffins camp would prefer a contract in the same vein as Roman Anthony’s deal with the Red Sox.
After an impressive spring training, in which his towering moonshot home runs quickly went viral, Griffin has hit .438/.571/.625 with three doubles and 3 SBs across 21 plate appearances at Triple-A Indianapolis. The former 9th overall pick from 2024 rose through 3 levels in the minor leagues last season, and has a rare blend of speed and power that had him atop most scouting services lists of prospects to watch.
The Pirates are looking to avoid making the same mistake they did with ace Paul Skenes, who was sent back to the minors and fell short of the 172 days on the 26 man roster in order for the club to receive an additional 1st round pick after he won Rookie of the Year. Griffin would also net Pittsburgh a pick should he finish in the top three in MVP voting in any of his first 3 seasons if he remains on the team’s MLB roster for the duration of 2026.
The former High School standout hopes to follow in the footsteps of Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, and Mike Trout as impact bats who made their debuts before the age of 20.
Pittsburgh will play host to the Baltimore Orioles in their home opener at PNC Park at 4:12pm ET on Friday. The team is currently 3-3 through their first 6 games of the season.
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