Pirates have a chance to make history with 2026 Opening Day roster

By this point, the hype train for Konnor Griffin has gained so much speed that it's nearly derailed.

A lot of that has to do with a November report that the Pittsburgh Pirates were planning to give him every chance to crack the 2026 Opening Day roster, despite having played just one professional season since being selected in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Of course, a lot has changed since then, including the additions of Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, Jhostynxon Garcia, and Jake Magnum to the active roster. The Pirates' offense is no longer hurting for runs in the same way it was a few months ago.

Then again, Griffin clobbered minor-league pitching to the tune of a .333/.415/.527 batting line (165 wRC+) across three stops in his age-18 season in 2025. There's no denying that he's dominating pitchers in a way most teenagers can only dream about.

If the Buccos stick to their guns and give Griffin a chance at winning that major-league roster spot, he'd become the first teenager this decade to make his MLB debut.

Konnor Griffin deserves patience, but the Pirates should lean into the hype

That Griffin would be the first teenager to make his MLB debut since Juan Soto in 2018 isn't technically true, since Elvis Luciano first cracked the big leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019 as a 19-year-old. But it'd still be one of the more impressive feats for any prospect in recent memory.

Griffin is a seamless fit for the team's opening at shortstop, assuming the team is content pushing Jared Triolo or Nick Gonzales into a reserve utility role going forward. Griffin's glove is as good as anyone else's on the infield, and his blend of power (21 home runs) and speed (65 stolen bases) would ignite the top of the batting order in Pittsburgh.

Still, it's worth remembering that he's only 19 years old and has drawn less than 100 total plate appearances at Double-A. Unless he lights the world on fire at spring training, it may behoove the Pirates to be a little more patient with him, giving him a chance to get additional seasoning at the highest levels of the minor leagues.

Either way, Griffin's status as the top prospect in baseball marks the second time in the past three years that the Pirates will open the spring slate with the No. 1 player in the minor leagues. Paul Skenes held the same designation in 2024, making his debut in May of that year before going on to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Let's hope Griffin follows in his footsteps.