MLB news: Pirates call up 19-year-old Konnor Griffin, baseball’s top prospect

Major League Baseball’s top prospect has arrived.

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on 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 with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Amateur Draft from 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 during 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, spending 50 games in Low-A (Bradenton), 51 games in High-A (Greensboro), and ending with 21 games in Double-A (Altoona). Across 122 minor league games, Griffin hit .333 with 21 home runs and 94 RBI and 65 stolen bases.

The Mississippi native impressed in spring training this year, hitting four home runs in 16 games.

Despite his impressive spring training showing, the Pirates sent Griffin down to Triple-A to begin 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 remains on the team for the remainder of the season and plays well, the Pirates can be rewarded. In 2022, The Prospect Promotion Incentive was established to discourage service time manipulation so teams would not hold top prospects in the minors.

If the top prospect accrues a full year of service-time and wins Rookie of the Year or finishes top three in MVP/Cy Young voting, the team gets an extra 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 National League Rookie of the Year last season. The Pirates hope Griffin will make an instant impact with the hope being that it might result in an extra first-round pick for them.

The Pirates (3-3) play the Orioles (3-3) on Friday at 4:12 p.m. ET.

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