The Pirates are calling up shortstop Konnor Griffin, the highest prospect in all of baseball, to make his main league debut in tomorrow’s dwelling opener, Pirates insider Jason Mackey studies. The staff has confirmed Griffin’s promotion however has not but formally chosen his contract to the 40-man roster. They’ll want to take action and make corresponding 26-man and 40-man transactions previous to first pitch tomorrow.
Griffin was within the combine to interrupt camp on Pittsburgh’s Opening Day roster however was reassigned to minor league camp late in spring coaching. The 2 events have continued talks on what can be a record-setting contract extension — anticipated to be each the most important ever for a participant with little to no main league service time (surpassing Colt Emerson‘s latest eight-year $95MM cope with the Mariners) and the Pirates’ franchise-record contract ($100MM for Bryan Reynolds).
It’s attainable the Bucs merely needed Griffin to make his debut at dwelling, popping ticket gross sales and additional boosting pleasure for followers after an uncharacteristically aggressive offseason. It’s additionally possible that the 2 events have grow to be shut sufficient on a long-term contract that the Pirates are making the transfer to advertise him now and can announce an extension not lengthy after his debut. The advantages in that situation are easy. Gamers who signal extensions earlier than making their MLB debut are usually not eligible to internet draft picks for his or her membership beneath MLB’s prospect promotion incentives; gamers who signal extensions after debuting stay PPI eligible. As long as any contract is finalized after Griffin has debuted, he’d internet the Pirates an additional draft decide both by profitable 2026 NL Rookie of the 12 months honors or with a top-three end in MVP voting in 2026-28. (A participant can solely generate one whole PPI decide for his staff.)
Griffin continues to be three weeks away from his twentieth birthday, however the 19-year-old phenom will get his probability to show he’s prepared for the large time. A bodily beast already standing 6’3″ and weighing 225 kilos, Griffin is probably probably the most touted No. 1 general prospect in latest reminiscence. He attracts plus (60) to plus-plus (70) grades on the 20-80 scale for all of his instruments throughout the board. Griffin is an elite runner who scouts imagine can stick at shortstop whereas hitting for each common and energy.
Chosen with the No. 9 general decide in 2024, Griffin has performed only one full skilled season, and the outcomes had been borderline comical. He sprinted via the minors final 12 months, climbing from Low-A to Double-A and completely raking at every of his three stops. Griffin totaled 563 plate appearances general and slashed .333/.415/.527 with 21 dwelling runs, 23 doubles, 4 triples and an eye-popping 65 stolen bases in 78 tries (83.3%). He walked at an 8.9% clip and struck out at a 21.7% price.
These numbers are staggering on their very own. By measure of wRC+, Griffin was 65% higher than a median hitter throughout these three ranges. That ignores the context that the Mississippi native was among the many youngest gamers — if not the youngest participant — in any respect of these stops. Griffin hit simply .171 in 46 spring plate appearances with the Pirates however nonetheless popped 4 dwelling runs. He’s taken 21 plate appearances in Triple-A to start this season and gone 7-for-16 with three doubles, three steals, 5 walks and solely 4 strikeouts.
With the Pirates, Griffin will instantly step in because the staff’s on a regular basis shortstop. That’ll push Jared Triolo to a bench position for which he’s most likely higher suited. Triolo is an adept defender at a number of infield spots however carries only a .234/.319/.343 slash in 1054 plate appearances on the main league degree. He can combine in at any of the 4 infield spots now, although he’s not going to supplant starters Spencer Horwitz (first base), Brandon Lowe (second base) or Nick Gonzales (third base) except there’s an damage or a protracted stretch of poor play from Gonzales as he acclimates to the recent nook.
Griffin steps into an enormous league lineup that has been considerably revamped since final season. The Pirates didn’t get the largest fish they pursued this winter (e.g. Kyle Schwarber, Josh Naylor, Kazuma Okamoto), however they nonetheless introduced in a number of established veteran bats who’ve unequivocally bolstered the offense. Lowe and outfielder Jake Mangum came visiting from the Rays alongside lefty reliever Mason Montgomery in a three-team commerce sending younger righty Mike Burrows to Houston. Ryan O’Hearn signed a two-year, $29MM in free company. Marcell Ozuna later got here aboard for a 12 months and $12MM. Griffin now joins newcomers like Lowe, O’Hearn and Ozuna within the coronary heart of a vastly improved lineup that Pirates hopes will higher help the staff’s wonderful younger pitching workers.
Service time concerns seemingly weren’t a think about Griffin’s promotion. He’s nonetheless being referred to as up in time to get a full 12 months of main league service even with out a Rookie of the 12 months win. His timelines for reaching arbitration and free company can be rendered moot if Griffin ultimately indicators an extension, as many count on, however as issues at present stand he’d be on observe for arbitration eligibility following the 2028 season and free company following the 2031 season, when he’d be simply 25 years previous (and going into his age-26 season). Griffin is so younger that even a record-setting extension may nonetheless place him to succeed in the open market effectively forward of his thirtieth birthday.
Extra to return.
