BRADENTON, Fla. — Konnor Griffin swears he set the same expectations for spring training as last year, when he was less than a year removed from high school and wanted to be a sponge who soaked up every ounce of information he could in big league camp.
Griffin knows that the baseball world is watching with wide-eyed wonder whether the 19-year-old can live up to the projections of being the consensus top prospect and win the starting job at shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates before Opening Day. There is a widespread belief that his five-tool talent can be a major difference maker on a team that lost 91 games and finished in last place in the National League Central last season.
“I try not to think about it too much. I just try to be myself and be in the moment, be present, take it day by day, and just try to grow as a player,” Griffin said Thursday morning at Pirate City. “We still have a month, month and a half, until games actually start. So, got a lot of time to grow and be prepared for whatever comes. That would be pretty special. But, like I said, still got a long way to go until then. Got to continue to grow as a player and try to be a sponge every single day and learn from the guys, every single day.”
Paul Skenes clocks in early. pic.twitter.com/ibUszDv6qu
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 9, 2026
That started by facing the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes in live batting practice Monday, the type of big-on-big matchup that promises to bring out the best in superstars.
To say Griffin is not your typical teenager would be selling him short. He was the Gatorade national player of the year at Jackson Prep in Mississippi, which he led to four consecutive state titles. He was the No. 9 selection of the 2024 MLB Draft and, in his first full professional season, was named Baseball America’s minor league player of the year after batting .333/.415/.527 with 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, 117 runs scored and 65 stolen bases across three levels. Griffin also won a Rawlings MiLB Gold Glove for his play at shortstop.
Griffin is something of a man-child, standing 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and filling out his uniform like a major leaguer. But he’s also mature beyond his years. On Jan. 17, he married his high school sweetheart, Dendy Hogan, whom he’s dated since eighth grade. The kid has already lapped his peers. Now, he has his sights set on PNC Park.
Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin, baseball’s consensus top prospect, signs autographs for fans at Pirate City. pic.twitter.com/JeIGhq9enO
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 11, 2026
First, Griffin had to face Skenes, who stands 6-6, 260 pounds, fires a fastball that touches triple digits with ease and has a seven-pitch repertoire that can overmatch major league hitters. Skenes struck out Griffin on three fastballs his first time up.
“He’s unbelievable,” Griffin said. “The numbers don’t lie and the awards don’t lie. But getting to step in the box was awesome. It’s kind of funny. You know who’s on the mound, but when I get in the box, it’s just, ‘Go compete. Try to beat the guy on the mound.’ And I know he was doing the same thing, just to get a little competitive match there. It’s nice to have live (ABs) off the best.”
Still, Griffin found “almost an intimidation factor” in standing in the batter’s box against Skenes for the first time and seeing his heater up close and in person.
“Like, you just see this large human being, and it’s throwing 99, 100 miles an hour. It can be pretty intimidating, just the way he’s able to locate pitches,” Griffin said. “He dotted three fastballs on me, and it’s just unbelievable to be in the box against a guy like that.”
Konnor Griffin, the consensus top prospect in baseball, on battling for the Pirates’ starting shortstop job this spring and comparisons to the game’s greats. pic.twitter.com/VobC7fhSVm
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 12, 2026
Not only is Skenes, a two-time All-Star with a 1.96 ERA in 55 career starts, several steps ahead of Griffin in his career but he’s preparing to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. So what happened next is even more unbelievable: In his second at-bat against Skenes, Griffin connected on a slider for a line drive to left field.
“Their goal is probably to see pitches and get timing. My goal was to throw strikes and get them out,” Skenes said. “So I think we kind of both accomplished our goals.”
Pirates catcher Henry Davis recalled how he faced Skenes in an eight-pitch at-bat last spring before striking out on a changeup, so he was impressed with how Griffin handled the pressure of going against one of the most dangerous arms in the game, even if there were no fielders to determine whether it would have been a hit.
“Honestly, what stood out to me most was just Konnor’s presence. No fear. Just getting in there, super excited, having a good time, good body language,” Davis said. “I think Paul was more focused on what he needed to get done for that day, getting ready for the WBC and everything he worked on is in a good spot. It was good to see for Konnor.”
Pirates manager Don Kelly found it “really cool” to see Skenes and Griffin go at it. More important, he believes that any experience Griffin can get against major league pitching “is going to be really valuable.” Griffin went 2 for 11 (.182) in eight Grapefruit League games last spring, although one of those hits was a ninth-inning homer against Baltimore on March 2 in Sarasota.
The Pirates are being careful with Griffin, willing to give him an opportunity to compete for the starting shortstop job but also cautioning that he has only 98 plate appearances in 21 games above A-ball. Never mind that he had a .337/.418/.542 slash line with five homers and 22 RBIs with the Altoona Curve, so he was hardly overmatched. But the Pirates could choose to have Griffin start the season at Triple-A Indianapolis before bringing him to the majors.
“We see the talent, and I think that allowing that to play out, you know, the expectations for him, because of all those things, are so sky-high, and he’s 19 years old,” Kelly said. “So how do we balance everything to make sure that Konnor Griffin is in a great spot to be Konnor Griffin every single day, to go out there and do what he does? You see the talent, the way he runs, throws, fields, everything, maturity level, and puts it all together. And it’s exciting that he is a Pirate. Going to be a Pirate for a long time. How do we allow him to develop and maximize everything he’s got?”
Kelly called Griffin a “special kid and a special player.” A player who already is being compared to Alex Rodriguez in stature, Bobby Witt Jr. in style of play and Mike Trout in terms of five-tool talent at the same stage of their careers. While Griffin has been humble about discussing his desire to win the starting shortstop job, he’s vowed to continue working until he has a plaque in Cooperstown.
“Obviously, that’s my biggest goal, is make the Hall of Fame,” Griffin said. “But until I’m there, I’ve still got to work super hard every single day, so nothing’s going to change whether I’m here or I’m trying to work through my professional career in the big leagues, nothing’s going to change. I’m going to continue to try to be the best player every single day and work towards being a Hall of Fame-type player. That’s definitely the goal.
Whether or not he starts the season with the Pirates, Griffin has made a strong impression on Pirates players and leaves little doubt that he will make his major league debut sometime this season. Skenes, for one, said that Griffin is “built for it” even though he doesn’t turn 20 until April 24.
“I think it’s funny that everything I see of him has to clarify that he’s 19 years old, because you wouldn’t think that,” Skenes said. “Super mature, super professional in how he goes about his business. Talking to him, it doesn’t say ‘19-year-old’ when you interact with him. That’s going to be fun. I’m excited to see his development. Excited to have him help us win a lot of games in Pittsburgh this year.”