The Pittsburgh Pirates made an important announcement on Saturday regarding star prospect Konnor Griffin. The team said that Griffin has been reassigned to minor league camp.
Barring any last-minute changes, Griffin will likely start the season in the minor leagues and not make the Opening Day lineup. The 19-year-old Griffin is considered to be a once-in-a-lifetime prospect and is already the No. 1 prospect in MLB. The Pirates clearly do not want to play their hand too fast with Griffin and are ensuring he gets a little more time to develop.
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Konnor Griffin Reassigned to Minor League Camp
GettyPittsburgh Pirates top prospect Konnor Griffin was hyped by Bryce Harper.
Konnor Griffin absolutely tore up the minor leagues in his first season within the Pirates’ organization. Over 122 total games last season, he hit .333 with a .942 OPS, 23 doubles, and 21 home runs.
Granite against some weaker minor league pitching, he started the year in Single-A, and will presumably start the 2026 season in Triple-A.
Here is his bio from MiLB.com:
“Griffin had the best set of all-around raw tools in the Draft class of 2024, but there were concerns about his hittability that kept him from being considered for the very top of the Draft. As a result, he lasted until No. 9 overall, where the Pirates signed him for just over $6.5 million. He then exceeded any and all expectations by going from Single-A to Double-A, leading all Minor League hitters with more than 400 plate appearances with a 165 wRC+, finishing with a 20-60 season as a 19-year-old en route to becoming the No. 1 prospect in baseball.”
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What Should the Pirates Do with Konnor Griffin?
As talented as Konnor Griffin is, the Pirates should not play this situation as they did with Paul Skenes. Skenes was the No.1 overall pick and was called up within a year of being drafted.
That’s not to say Griffin isn’t as talented as Skenes, because that remains to be seen, but as a young hitting prospect, it’s harder to be productive at the big-league level than being a star pitcher with dominant stuff that will almost automatically translate to MLB success.
For Griffin, if he starts the season hitting very well, Pittsburgh could call him up as soon as this season, but another full season in the minor leagues would be beneficial for his development.
It’s plausible that Konnor Griffin could be a September call-up.
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