BREAKING: Pirates Make Decision on Konnor Griffin
The Pittsburgh Pirates have answered the biggest question at spring training — Konnor Griffin has been reassigned to minor-league camp and will not make the club’s Opening Day roster.
Griffin had been competing to start at shortstop when the Pirates break camp and head to New York for Opening Day against the Mets next week. Had Griffin made the initial roster, he would have become the first teenager to make his MLB debut on Opening Day since Ken Griffey Jr. in 1989.
The 19-year-old Griffin appeared in 16 games during the spring and hit .171 (7 for 41). He led the team with four home runs and was tied for the team lead with nine RBI.
Griffin emerged as the top prospect in baseball with a sensational first professional season last year. The 2024 first-round draft pick combined to hit .333 with a .941 OPS, 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBI and 65 stolen bases while winning a minor-league Gold Glove at shortstop.
Griffin’s 2026 season will likely begin in Triple-A Indianapolis, and although he won’t be on the field for the Pirates’ first game of the season, it shouldn’t be long until he gets called up to Pittsburgh.
With Griffin’s fate now known, Nick Gonzales looks poised to start at shortstop for the Pirates to begin the season. Fellow infielder Nick Yorke also has a strong chance of making the roster.
There are now 34 players remaining in big-league camp.
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