One of the biggest surprises coming out of Spring Training was that Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Konnor Griffin did not make the Opening Day roster. But just a week into the season, they have righted that wrong as Griffin has been called up from Triple-A Indianapolis. Griffin is the top prospect in all of baseball, according to multiple outlets, and will be the first position player to make his debut as a teenager since Juan Soto. It has already been announced that Griffin will make his MLB debut on Friday for the Pirates’ home opener.
While it was not surprising that Griffin is making his debut this season, it is a bit surprising that it was this quick. Many believed that he was sent down to Triple-A so the Pirates could manipulate his service time. If he were in the minors until mid-April, it would have pushed when he is eligible for free agency back a year. Essentially, getting an extra year of service. But Griffin forced the Pirates’ hand and made it so they could not wait any longer to call him up.
Konnor Griffin is Ready to be an Everyday Player for the Pirates
It did not take long for the Griffin to prove that he should be on the major league roster. In 16 at-bats in Triple-A, he has seven hits, four runs, one RBI, five walks, and three stolen bases. This resulted in a slashline of .438/.571/.625. Sure, a slashline after 16 at-bats does not mean much, but they are numbers that jump off the page. These numbers are also backed up by his elite production last season. In his first professional season, Griffin slashed .333/.420/.527 with 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, 117 runs, and 65 stolen bases.
This will be a big upgrade over who the Pirates currently have at shortstop. Jared Triolo has been manning the position the past few games and has not been great. Through six games, he has had 16 at-bats, notching three hits, one run, and four strikeouts to two walks. He also has an Outs Above Average in the fourth percentile according to Baseball Savant. With Triolo struggling, it made no sense to keep a player like Griffin in the minors. They would be doing the organization a disservice by doing that.
Griffin will also not be expected to be the savior of the Pirates when they call him up. There is always a concern when struggling teams call up a young, promising player that they will be expected to save the season. That there will be so much pressure on him to perform well that they will press and get into their own heads. But the Pirates have enough talent to be a solid team this season. Guys like Paul Skenes, Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe, and Mitch Keller are all good enough to keep the pressure off him.
The Pirates’ offense has also been pretty decent through the first couple of series. They currently lead the league with 10 home runs and rank in the top ten for hits, RBIs, and OPS. Griffin will not be expected to turn around a struggling offense. Instead, the expectation is that he will enhance the lineup and make it even better. He should slide into the bottom half of the order, lengthen the lineup, and make them much more dangerous. He can be what makes this offense one of the best in baseball.
There was no better time for the Pirates to call up Griffin than right now. He could be what makes the Pirates a true contender and makes them competitive again.
