The Pittsburgh Pirates open the home portion of their 133rd season today against the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park, and all eyes will be on Konnor Griffin, the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball.
Griffin was called up from the minors Thursday and will make his major-league debut. First pitch is scheduled for 4:12 p.m. (Yes, 4:12 for the 412.)
Gates open to fans at 2 p.m. Policies and procedures for entering PNC Park — this is the 26th season for what is widely considered the best ballpark in MLB — can be found here.
Here’s what you need to know before arriving on the North Shore:
All eyes on Griffin
Griffin, just 19 yeas old, is expected to get the start at shortstop. The 6-foot-3, 222-pound standout was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and signed for a bonus of $6.53 million.
Pirates announced Griffin’s debut in a social media video Thursday morning.
Griffin was dominant across three levels in his first professional season, starting at Low-A Bradenton and finishing at Double-A Altoona. He batted .333/.415/.527 with 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, 117 runs scored and 65 stolen bases to earn minor league player of the year honors and a Rawlings MiLB Gold Glove.
Griffin’s father, Kevin, told TribLive on Thursday that between family and friends, he expects 30 people to make the trip to Pittsburgh for his son’s debut.
Parkers beware
Getting to PNC Park and finding parking could present a challenge. The first phase of road closures are in place for NFL Draft construction, so fans should pack their patience.
Gold Lot 1 is closed for construction of the NFL Draft stage.
Transportation leaders and Pittsburgh officials recently unveiled NFL Draft transit strategy and road closures.
Roads that currently are closed include Art Rooney Avenue, West General Robinson Street (to Tony Dorsett Drive) and Scotland Avenue.
The Pirates recommend fans arrive as early as possible, take public transit, use rideshare services, find alternate parking Downtown or walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge.
Drivers can try to reserve parking in advance through the ParkMobile website or app. Fans also can prebook a parking spot through ParkWhiz. Alco Parking lots will open at noon.
New food offerings
Inspired by traditional Steel City staples and favorite dishes, nine new menu items are being debuted at PNC Park.
Some options will include:
• Boricua Dog: A Puerto Rican-inspired hot dog with a Pittsburgh twist. Ingredients include sofrito beef, Smallman Street Deli kraut, yellow mustard, American cheese, ketchup, braised onion and potato sticks served on a roll. (Section 135)
• Coop Puppy: Sweet tea-brined chicken on a toasted roll, topped with ketchup-braised onion, ranch and shredded lettuce. (Section 144)
• Chipped Ham Fries: This is a chipped ham sandwich-inspired dish, which is a local favorite in Pittsburgh. On top of french fries will be chipped ham, sauce, cheddar sauce and garlic butter. (HPC Market, Section 118)
April showers
Temperatures are expected to reach near 80 degrees, but fans may need to pack rain gear.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Frazier told TribLive that forecasters probably won’t have a good handle on the chance of rain until Friday morning. NWS puts chances at 40% to 50% for showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening.
PNC Park permits umbrellas inside, but they may not be opened during play.
Frazier recommended fans be prepared for afternoon showers and thunderstorms, and have ways to receive alerts if there’s severe potential.
Sheetz Shotz
Starting this Pirates season, fans will be able to view a new Sheetz home run board in the right field foul area.
The board will track any home runs hit this season. Sheetz plans to donate $100 to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for each homer.
For the food bank, each home run will equate to providing an additional 300 meals to neighbors in need, according to the announcement.
What else is new?
The Pirates will pay tribute to Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski, who died in February. His nickname, “Maz,” will appear behind second base, and players will wear a No. 9 patch on their sleeves all season.
And Bucco Bricks are back, sort of.
On Tuesday, the Pirates unveiled a permanent commemorative display of 60 5-foot-high bronze panels on PNC Park’s facade at West General Robinson Street and Mazeroski Way. The panels display more than 10,000 personalized fan messages that were preserved after originally appearing on commemorative Bucco Bricks embedded in the sidewalk outside PNC Park. The bricks were discarded without notice last year, angering fans who had purchased the bricks through a Pirates program that began in 1999.