WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup alum Konnor Griffin doubles in first MLB at-bat
Former WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup outfielder Konnor Griffin got his first Major League Baseball (MLB) hit on the fifth pitch he saw. Down in the count 1-2, the 19-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop fouled the first offering and then got to Kyle Bradish's curveball, turning it into an RBI double.
"It was awesome," Konnor Griffin said in an interview with MLB.com. "Getting a win, as well, was the cherry on top. That was hands down one of the best days of my life. Everything, in general, was just amazing: running onto the field, hearing my name called. I tried just to be present. I couldn't really feel my feet much, but I just tried to be where my feet were and enjoy the moment."
The Pittsburgh Pirates went on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 on Friday, April 3.
Griffin started the next three games. The Pirates defeated the Orioles on April 4 (3-2) and April 5 (8-2) and lost against the San Diego Padres (5-0) on April 6. Baseball's No. 1 prospect didn't get any hits but showcased his talent at shortstop.
Griffin became the No. 1 MLB prospect ahead of the 2026 season.
After going 7-for-41 in 16 Spring Training games, the Pirates reassigned him to Minor League camp on March 21, 2026.
On April 2, after going 7-for-16 (a .438 batting average) with three doubles in his first five Triple-A games (all at shortstop) at Indianapolis, Griffin got the call-up to the major leagues.
MLB.com reported: "The move is also happening because Griffin is the Pirates' best available option at an important position, a player who responded to adversity in an ideal way when he was reassigned to Minor League camp on March 21. Better swing decisions was something the Pirates wanted to see out of Griffin, who admitted to pressing some in Spring Training, trying to make a positive impression, but also being unable to hit the fastball and chasing stuff out of the zone."
Griffin is above average in all five tools (hitting ability, power, running, arm and fielding) rated in scouting reports.
The Pirates and Griffin are finalising a nine-year, $140 million contract extension. The deal is the largest ever given to a player with no MLB service time, ESPN's Buster Olney reported.
Jared Triolo (28), a 2024 Gold Glove winner for his utility defence, started at short for the first six games of the season while the team was on the road in New York and Cincinnati.
With Griffin’s promotion, the Pirates have announced that Triolo will likely shift to third base to make room for the rookie. Triolo can play all infield positions and the outfield.
Griffin attended Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood, Mississippi, playing as an outfielder and pitcher. In 2023, Griffin hit .537 with eight home runs and 19 stolen bases and went 7–1 with a 1.38 earned run average (ERA).
He represented USA at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2023. The defending champions USA finished fourth, with Griffin - who featured twice on the mound (allowing two runs on two hits against Panama on September 4 and pitching only 1.1 innings) - starting all games in right field, going 5-for-26, for a .192 batting average.
In the summer after his junior year, he played in the High School All-American Game at T-Mobile Park. Griffin reclassified from the 2025 to the 2024 class after his Junior season in 2022 and committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college baseball.
In high school sports, "reclassifying" is essentially accelerating their timeline to graduate and start college a year early. Griffin's early graduation made him eligible for the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Griffin in the first round, with the ninth overall selection. On July 31, 2024, Griffin signed with the Pirates for a US$6.53 million bonus, retracting his prior commitment to LSU.
Griffin made his professional debut in 2025 with the Bradenton Marauders (Single A). In June, the Pirates promoted him to the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Class A advanced).
Selected to represent the Pirates (alongside Esmerlyn Valdez) at the 2025 All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park, Griffin was promoted in August to the Double-A Altoona Curve, with whom he ended his first professional season. Over 122 games (15 at centre field, 94 at shortstop and the rest as the DH) between the three teams, Griffin hit .333 with 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, and 65 stolen bases. Baseball America named him their Minor League Player of the Year.