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Major League Baseball’s top prospect has arrived.
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Thursday that shortstop Konnor Griffin will make his major league debut in the team’s home opener against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.
Griffin, who turns 20 on April 24, was selected No. 9 overall in the 2024 MLB Amateur Draft out of Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood, Mississippi.
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Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida on March 1, 2026. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
Griffin began his minor league career in 2025, playing 50 games in Low-A (Bradenton), 51 games in High-A (Greensboro) and ending with 21 games in Double-A (Altoona). Over 122 minor league games, Griffin hit .333 with 21 home runs, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases.
The Mississippi native impressed during spring training this year, hitting four homers in 16 games.
Despite his impressive performance in spring training, the Pirates sent Griffin to Triple-A to start the season. However, Griffin continued his hot hitting with seven hits in 16 at-bats and three stolen bases, prompting the team to call him up.
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Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin returns to the dugout during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida on March 1, 2026. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
If Griffin stays on the team for the rest of the season and plays well, the Pirates can be rewarded. In 2022, the prospect promotion incentive was created to discourage service time manipulation so that teams would not hold top prospects in the minors.
If the top prospect accumulates a full year of service and wins Rookie of the Year or finishes in the top three in MVP/Cy Young voting, the team gets an additional draft pick at the end of the first round.
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Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Konnor Griffin bats during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida on March 21, 2026. (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)
The Atlanta Braves got a compensatory pick when catcher Drake Baldwin won the National League Rookie of the Year award last season. The Pirates are hoping Griffin will make an instant impact, hoping that could translate into an additional first-round pick for them.
The Pirates (3-3) face the Orioles (3-3) Friday at 4:12 p.m. ET.
