The electric environment for the home opener was interrupted Friday afternoon when Konnor Griffin stepped into the batter’s box for his first plate appearance with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The announcement that No. 6 was now batting brought a clamoring of cheers from the sellout crowd of 38,986 at PNC Park, then the halt to a hush. It was just the way the teenage phenom wanted it, canceling out the noise so he could concentrate on connecting with a pitch.
“I feel like that’s the goal, to kind of make it sound like that every time you get in the box, just focus on the pitcher and go compete,” Griffin said. “I didn’t really hear the silence, but it was special walking up to the plate, hearing the fans go crazy. That was awesome.”
The 19-year-old shortstop, billed as baseball’s No. 1 prospect, swore before the game that he felt “super ready for this moment.” Then he showed what makes him special, why talent evaluators consider him a can’t-miss superstar and generational talent.
Griffin got behind in the count against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish before roping an RBI double to the warning track in front of the bullpen in left-center at an exit velocity of 105.8 mph to drive in Ryan O’Hearn and give the Pirates a 1-0 second-inning lead.
Turns out, that spot near the 410-foot North Side Notch was Griffin’s favorite target at PNC Park when practicing swings with HitTrax technology, which his father dubbed “Konnor’s Korner” in a nod to Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner’s power alley at Forbes Field.
“That corner is tough,” Griffin said. “You’ve got to poke it way out there, but I love calling it my corner and trying to conquer the corner. That corner is going to be special if I can keep hitting balls in there and keep running.”
It brought a standing ovation and a hoist-the-cone celebration from a jubilant Griffin at second base. When Jared Triolo followed with a single to right, Griffin raced home in 6.3 seconds to score on a head-first slide into home plate for a two-run advantage and spark a four-run frame.
“It’s not surprising,” Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds said. “Everyone knows he’s a good player but to go out and do it on your first day is good. I think everybody was pulling for him. To see him have that success was awesome. The next few guys fed off of that.”
Griffin became the youngest Pirate to get a hit in his major league debut since Bill Mazeroski hit a leadoff single off Johnny Antonelli in the third inning against the New York Giants on July 7, 1956.
Mazeroski was 19 years and 306 days — 38 days younger than Griffin, who turns 20 on April 24 — and would become a Pirates legend as the hero of the 1960 World Series for his Game 7 walk-off home run, an eight-time Gold Glove winner and Hall of Fame second baseman.
Their connection runs deeper. Griffin was signed by Pirates Southeast area scout Darren Mazeroski, who was in attendance as the Pirates paid tribute to his father, who passed away Feb. 20 at age 89. The grounds crew stenciled his nickname, “Maz” into the grass behind second base
“That’s amazing,” Griffin said. “What a great player he was. But being on the same stat line as him and then Darren also scouting me … Darren is the reason I’m here. He believed in me and took a chance on me. That’s pretty special right there and I’m going to cherish that a long time.”
So will Darren Mazeroski, who couldn’t have predicted that Griffin would go from Jackson Prep in Florence, Miss., to the No. 9 pick of the 2024 MLB Draft to the major leagues in such a short span.
“I mean, it’s unreal,” Mazeroski told TribLive via text message. “Couldn’t have scripted it any better!”
Despite competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster by hitting team-bests of four home runs and nine RBIs, Griffin didn’t make the final cut and started the season at Triple-A Indianapolis. The 6-foot-3, 222-pounder dominated the competition like he did every other level of the minor leagues, going 7 for 16 with three doubles and drawing more walks (five) than strikeouts (four) in his first five games.
“There’s just things he’s able to do that not a lot of guys can do,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “Yes, we all get to see the home runs, the ones that he hit against the Red Sox down in Fort Myers, but there’s a lot of things he brings to the table that can help us win in a lot of different ways.”
By Monday, Pirates chairman Bob Nutting was discussing Griffin with general manager Ben Cherington and came to the same conclusion. That conversation helped them decide that it was time to promote the precocious prospect to the Pirates.
“I asked a simple question, ‘Does he make the team better now?’ Take all the other distractions and issues off the table. Are we a better team with him up here?” Nutting told TribLive. “Particularly as he continued to perform in Indy, it was clear that he was going to come up and make us better defensively right away and he’ll grow into the offensive production. He’s going to get the most out of playing here.”
Griffin became the first teenage position player to make his MLB debut since Juan Soto on May 20, 2018. Soto has since become a six-time Silver Slugger, four-time All-Star and 2020 National League batting champion who is recognized as one of the best hitters in the game.
For Griffin, such comparisons are nothing new. His physique has been likened to that of a young Alex Rodriguez, his hair-on-fire style of playing to Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. and his early coming-of-age to multiple MVP winners Mike Trout and Bryce Harper.
“It’s pretty special to hear the players I’ve been compared to,” Griffin said. “Those guys, they’ve done it at the highest level. They were in similar situations but continued to work hard and get to where they were and that’s why everybody remembers them. So that’s the path I’m trying to take. Today is the first day of carving out a legacy that I want to build and I’m ready to do that and try to be right up there with those top guys.”
Griffin drew a five-pitch leadoff walk in the fourth inning to become the first teenager to reach base twice in his debut since Jurickson Profar in 2012, the first Pirate to do so since Bobby DelGreco in April 1952. In his third at-bat, Griffin showed the confidence to use the automated ball-strike system challenge against home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak’s called strike on a 2-2 changeup from Dietrich Enns. Griffin won the challenge, as the pitch was below the strike zone, but went down swinging at a full-count fastball.
“To have the wherewithal in that moment, to challenge that pitch and stay in that at-bat,” Kelly said, “it was great.”
Griffin appeared at ease at shortstop, fielding an Adley Rutschman grounder and stepping on second base for the final out of the first inning and turning the Pirates’ first double play of the season in the second. He showed off his arm to get Rutschman out in the seventh.
“He’s a really good infielder with really good range and a hell of arm,” said Jared Triolo, a Gold Glove winner who started five of the first six games at shortstop before switching to third base. “I’m not sure what I was doing at 19 years old but definitely not debuting in the big leagues. When he got optioned to Triple-A, it was like, ‘We’ll see you soon.’ Seeing him up here and seeing how well he fits in, it’s cool.”
Griffin’s arrival energized a fan base that voiced its frustration with the direction of the franchise last season from the home opener to the end of a 91-loss campaign. Pirates players welcomed Griffin, believing that he can play a pivotal role in helping them become a postseason contender.
“I’m not a scout but I think he’s going to be pretty good,” said Pirates ace Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. “Great atmosphere, probably in part because of him, in part because it’s the home opener and he went out there and did what he does. Didn’t try to do too much. He’s a difference maker. It was very apparent today.”
A dazzling debut that began and ended with cheers for Griffin, who savored every moment and even the silence. He couldn’t wait to celebrate with his family, then play another game on Saturday.
“It was a special day and getting a win just made it even better,” Griffin said. “It was everything I dreamed of.”