Konnor Griffin Will Be Non-Roster Invitee for Pirates This Spring; Can He Crack Opening Day Roster?
The Pittsburgh Pirates officially announced that 2024 first-round draft pick Konnor Griffin will be among the non-roster invitees at spring training next month.
Griffin soared through the minor league ranks last season — his first as a professional. He began the season with Low-A Bradenton, where he hit .338 with a .932 OPS, 10 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 36 RBI and 26 steals in 50 games before he was promoted to High-A Greensboro.
Griffin was able to continue his success in the South Atlantic League after his promotion. In 51 games with the Grasshoppers, he slashed .325/.432/.510 with 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 36 RBI and 33 steals.
The Pirates decided to promote him once again in August, this time to Double-A Altoona. In 21 games to end the season with the Curve, Griffin hit .333 with a .941 OPS, five home runs, 22 RBI and six steals.
Griffin remained extremely consistent throughout the season — both offensively and defensively — despite multiple promotions. There were concerns about his hit tool and whether he would play shortstop or center field as a pro, but the 19-year-old silenced both with spectacular season at the plate and a minor-league Gold Glove as a shortstop.
Earlier in the offseason, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Pirates are considering starting Griffin in the big leagues in 2026, and it’s possible it could happen. But will it?
If Griffin did break camp with the Pirates and head to Citi Field for Opening Day against the New York Mets, he would be the fist teenage to suit up for Pittsburgh since Aramis Ramirez in 1998. It would also mean that Griffin would bypass Triple-A and make the jump from Double-A to the big leagues, something that is rare to see but has been done before.
The Pirates have historically been cautious in promoting their prospects to the majors, but there have been cases of more aggressiveness in recent memory. Paul Skenes made his MLB debut after only 12 starts in the minor leagues — seven of which came at Triple-A. Jared Jones was in the Opening Day rotation in 2024 after only 16 appearances with Indianapolis the year prior.
But there aren’t as many cases regarding positions players and the jump for hitters going from Triple-A to the big leagues seems more difficult than ever before.
Griffin can go into spring training and set the world on fire like he did all last season. If he plays the way he played last year but this time against MLB competition, he could force the Pirates to have him in the lineup for the opener against the Mets.
But it seems entirely more likely that Griffin will start the season with Indianapolis. Even if that’s the case, it probably won’t be very long until the uber prospect suits up for the Pirates for the first time.
One way to greatly improve Griffin’s chances of starting at shortstop for the Pirates to start to season would be for the two sides to sign a long-term extension, but that is something for another day.
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