Widely considered a five-tool player, Konnor Griffin slashed .438/.571/.625 in his five games this season with Triple-A Indianapolis before getting the callup to the big leagues. In 122 games last year, he hit .333 with 21 home runs, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases en route to being named Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year. The shortstop was the ninth overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Griffin, who doesn’t turn 20 years old until April 24, is the first teenaged position player in MLB since Juan Soto debuted with Washington in 2018. He’s also the first teenager to debut for Pittsburgh since Aramis Ramirez in 1998.
Here’s a breakdown of his MLB debut, at-bat by at-bat:
FIRST AT-BAT, SECOND INNING
Slotted in as the seventh hitter in the Bucs’ lineup, Griffin had to wait for his chance to step into the batter’s box, but he made an early impact with his glove, turning an inning-ending double play on a Jeremiah Jackson grounder up the middle in the top of the second.
In the bottom half of the frame, Griffin got to swing the lumber, launching an RBI double to the gap in left-center field on an 1-2 curveball — earning a loud ovation from the crowd as the Pirates took a 1-0 lead. Before they had time to settle, Griffin was sliding into home plate on a Jared Triolo single, scoring the first run of his MLB career to double the advantage.
