Pirates to promote No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin for MLB debut in PNC Park opener

Konnor Griffin will make his major league debut in the home opener, as the Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting the 19-year-old shortstop who is the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball.

The Pirates announced the news by posting a video on social media Thursday morning under the caption, Opening Debut. It showed an unidentified player with his head tilted downward putting on a black cap, tugging on the brim with his right hand and the back with his left. Then it showed Griffin’s face, and he was wearing a home white uniform. Griffin is likely to be in the starting lineup when the Pirates play the Baltimore Orioles at 4:12 p.m. Friday at PNC Park.

Opening Debut. pic.twitter.com/ILemWfjIHS

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 2, 2026

Griffin revealed the news to his parents, Kevin and Kim, on a FaceTime video call Thursday morning. Kevin Griffin said he “could sense excitement in his voice” when Konnor told his parents he was headed to the big leagues by saying, “We did it!”

“It took me back to all the conversations that Konnor and I had over the years about what his dreams were about this sport and it hit me that all of it will now come true,” Kevin Griffin told TribLive via text message while flying to Pittsburgh from their hometown of Jackson, Miss. “It is certainly a proud moment as a dad and when Konnor called me, I was certainly filled with instant emotion. From the time that the Pirates drafted Konnor, he has said that he wants to make an impact on the city of Pittsburgh. He doesn’t want this to be about him, but wants to be part of a team effort to give the city a winner!”

Whether the 6-foot-3, 222-pound Griffin, who was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and signed for a bonus of $6.53 million, would make the Opening Day roster was one of the biggest storylines of spring training in the baseball world. He did not, but it only took a week for the Pirates to reverse course and bring him to the major leagues amid an ESPN report that the sides are negotiating a long-term contract extension.

It marks their most heralded major league debut since the May 2024 arrival of Paul Skenes, who won National League rookie of the year honors that season and the Cy Young Award last year. Skenes was one of many Pirates players impressed with Griffin at spring training.

“You talk about someone making other people better, that’s what Konnor does,” Skenes told TribLive. “He shows up like an ultimate pro. He’s got the young energy that we need. Good human and, obviously, he’s a good player. Whether he’s good enough or not, time will tell. Whether he’s good enough or not, it’s going to be obvious to everybody. But he makes other people better.”

Griffin was dominant across three levels in his first professional season, starting at Low-A Bradenton and finishing at Double-A Altoona. He batted .333/.415/.527 with 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, 117 runs scored and 65 stolen bases to earn minor league player of the year honors and a Rawlings MiLB Gold Glove.

Hitting a pair of home runs over the replica Green Monster against the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers — including a 440-foot shot at an exit velocity of 111.2 mph — certainly raised eyebrows.

“If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he should definitely start up with us,” Pirates two-time All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds said. “I don’t think he even needs to hit two home runs every game. He’s definitely somebody that’s going to help us. If that’s our ultimate goal and he’s confident, I think you should ride it. It’s tricky, too. I see both sides. He’s obviously talented enough. If he’s doing this, I think it would make sense.”

But Griffin didn’t make the Opening Day roster out of spring training after batting .171 (7 for 41) with a team-best four home runs and nine RBIs but 13 strikeouts against two walks in 16 Grapefruit League games. He reached the final cut before being reassigned to minor league camp on March 21. Griffin, however, shined in his first five games at Triple-A Indianapolis, batting .438/.571/.625 with three doubles and an RBI and more walks (five) than strikeouts (four).

The Pirates started Jared Triolo at shortstop on Opening Day, and he batted .150 in five games through the first week. That prompted the Pirates to make the decision to bring Griffin aboard, which will require a 40-man roster move before Friday’s game.

Kevin Griffin said that between family and friends, he expects 30 people to make the trip to Pittsburgh for Konnor’s debut in the home opener. Konnor Griffin wore No. 75 in spring training but will switch to No. 6 with the Pirates. He didn’t dare ask for his favorite number, 22, which belonged to franchise icon Andrew McCutchen. Six is scorecard shorthand for the shortstop position, so it’s fitting for the converted center fielder.

“I like that the Pirates took a chance on a kid who always played CF and put him at the SS position,” Kevin Griffin texted TribLive. “So 6 is significant for that reason to me!”

Griffin told TribLive in Bradenton that he couldn’t help but think about making the Opening Day roster. Instead, he will have to settle for becoming the first teenage position player to make his major league debut since Juan Soto on May 20, 2018.

“I think I’d be crazy if I didn’t daydream about it because it’s been something I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little kid,” said Griffin, who turns 20 on April 24. “I’m looking forward to it a lot. The goal is to make your debut, but my goal is to have a really good career. I’m training every day to be the most prepared I can for it. When that time comes, I’m going to be ready to roll.”