Konnor Griffin's tear is officially creating a 2026 Opening Day roster argument for Pirates

After earning his second promotion of the season, Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Konnor Griffin has continued to show why he deserves the title of No. 1 prospect in all of baseball. The only thing that eluded him through his first eight games at the Double-A level was a home run, but that changed – and then some – on Friday night.

Leading off for Altoona against the Washington Nationals' Double-A affiliate in Harrisburg, Griffin went 3-for-5 with not one, but two home runs in a 14-3 win on Friday. His first career multi-homer game included a three-run blast in the fifth inning and a two-run shot in the ninth inning, giving him a new career-high of seven RBI in a single game.

Griffin's electric performance extended his current hitting streak to five games. He also hit a two-run single in the second inning to pick up his second three-hit game since his promotion to Double-A on August 19, giving him 19 total on the season.

Konnor Griffin's tear is officially creating a 2026 Opening Day roster argument for Pirates

Griffin has looked perfectly comfortable through his first nine games at Double-A, boasting a .353/.429/.559 slash line with a .988 OPS. Before he got there, he posted a .332/.414/.524 slash line with a .937 OPS through 101 games split between the Single-A and High-A levels.

It's easy to forget that Griffin is only 19 years old, having just been selected out of high school at No. 9 overall in last year's MLB Draft. Given his quick rise through the Pirates' system, though, he could realistically compete for a spot on Pittsburgh's Opening Day roster as soon as 2026.

That being said, Griffin doesn't yet have an at-bat at the Triple-A level, and teams tend to take a more conservative approach with elite prospects. Perhaps a more realistic, tempered expectation for him would be a midseason call-up, or being an extra bat or defensive replacement early in the year before transitioning to a regular role once he rounds into full form.

Regardless, Griffin’s combination of performance and tools is rare, even among elite prospects, and he's rapidly approaching MLB readiness. Don't be surprised to see him in Pittsburgh as soon as next year.

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