Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin made his major-league debut on Friday in the team’s home opener versus the Baltimore Orioles. He drove in a run in his first at-bat, hitting a double for a 1-0 lead.
Batting seventh in the Pittsburgh batting order, Griffin came up as the third batter in the bottom of the second inning. Orioles pitcher Ryan Bradish walked Ryan O’Hearn to lead off the frame, followed by Spencer Horwitz striking out.
Defensively, he made the third out of the first inning, fielding a ground ball by Adley Rutschman and stepping on second base unassisted. Griffin also started a 6-4-3 double play to end the second inning, fielding a ball and flipping to second baseman Brandon Lowe for the relay throw to first base.
Konnor Griffin gets a nice ovation ahead of his MLB debut pic.twitter.com/l6Y4AeKXO5
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 3, 2026
Ranked as the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com and The Athletic, Griffin was the Pirates’ 2024 first-round pick (No. 9 overall) out of Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood, Mississippi.
Last season in the minors, he advanced from low Single-A to Double-A. Overall, Griffin hit .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs, 23 doubles, 94 RBI and 65 stolen bases in 563 plate appearances.
Griffin came into spring training with an opportunity to make the Pirates’ Opening Day roster. Though he hit four home runs, his triple-slash numbers of .171/.261/.488 showed he still needed some prep time and the Pirates assigned him to Triple-A. That stint lasted only five games, however, as Griffin batted .488/.571/.625 in 21 plate appearances.
With a 3-3 record and Jared Triolo beginning the season with a slash average of .150/.261/.200, delaying the inevitable didn’t make such for the Pirates. Especially when the team is reportedly nearing agreement with Griffin on a nine-year, $140 million contract.
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