The Pittsburgh Pirates have officially ripped the band-aid off. The number one prospect in baseball is ready to make his MLB debut at 19 years old. Konnor Griffin is here. The Pirates want to do special things, and Griffin is expected to be a cornerstone piece for years to come. Pittsburgh baseball fans finally have something to be excited about. The decade of humiliation is over. It’s time for the decade of hope in the Steel City.
Griffin is one of the most hyped prospects in a long time. He’s the number one prospect according to Major League Baseball, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, and Fangraphs. This kid is the truth. Prospect analyst Keith Law referred to him as the Willie Mays of shortstops. That is serious praise for a kid who hasn’t played an inning in the MLB yet. It’s an abundance of pressure to put on a 19-year-old man, but the Pirates think he can deliver for them.
According to Fangraphs, Griffin is a freaky five-tool player with big power. He’s incredibly fast and has quickly developed into a plus shortstop. They called him one of the best prospects ever evaluated in the current era of Fangraphs scouting. They called him a franchise-altering entity whose talent rivals Bobby Witt Jr, a level headed Hanley Ramirez, or a faster Carlos Correa. Take their word for it if you don’t believe me.
The Pirates’ savior spent time in Bradenton, Greensboro, and Altoona last season. In 122 games, he hit 21 home runs, drove in 94 runs, and stole 65 bases with a .333 batting average and a .941 OPS. Griffin played 757 innings at shortstop and 15 in center field. He can do it all. It appears that the initial plan is for him to play shortstop in Pittsburgh. They don’t have a better option than Griffin on the roster.
Griffin should’ve made the opening day roster, but he got to play five games in Indianapolis first. In those five games, he had seven hits in 16 at-bats, three doubles, an RBI, three stolen bases, a .336 average, and a 1.196 OPS. It was clear that he didn’t need to be there anymore. It came out on Thursday morning that Griffin was headed to Pittsburgh. He will be the first teenage position player since Juan Soto in 2018. On top of that, he will be the youngest position player in a game within the team’s first seven games of a season since Andruw Jones in 1997.
Shortly after it was announced that he was coming to Pittsburgh, the unthinkable happened. Buster Olney reported that the Pirates are prepared to extend Griffin for nine years at $140 million. The details are still being finalized, but it is the largest contract ever given to a player who hasn’t made his MLB debut. Bob Nutting finally opened up the checkbook. He might be serious about building a winning team in Pittsburgh, although it’s still tough to trust him given his track record.
Unfortunately, Griffin didn’t make the Pirates’ opening day roster, but they only lasted six games without him. With Paul Skenes’ help, the duo has a chance to be the Pirates version of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. They can be a duo that leads them out of the darkness and permanently alters the course of the franchise. It’s time for the Buccos to turn this ship around. At 3-3, the Griffin era has begun in the Steel City. Buckle up.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
