Konnor Griffin was playing baseball at Jackson Prep two years ago, where he was crowned the Gatorade National Player of the Year. Now, he’s agreed to a nine-figure deal as a beacon of hope for a struggling MLB franchise.
Griffin, after making his major league debut as the Pittsburg Pirates’ shortstop a week ago, has agreed to a nine-year, $140 million contract with the club. The 19-year-old now boasts the largest deal in the organization’s history, surpassing Bryan Reynolds’ eight-year, $106,750,000 extension that was signed in April 2023.
The Mississippi native instantly proved why he was called up in his MLB debut versus the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. In his first at bat, Griffin hit a double. He later used the league’s new automated ball-strike challenging system to dispute a called strike and won the appeal. He also turned the club’s first double play of the season in the 5-4 win over Baltimore.
Pittsburgh is 4-1 since calling Griffin up, though he’s struggled at the plate in 17 appearances. Griffin is currently batting .176 with three hits, three RBI, and four strikeouts. His first multi-hit game took place Tuesday when he put the ball in play twice and sent a pair of runners to home plate in a 7-1 win over the San Diego Padres.
The Pirates, as shown through the big contract, have expressed their willingness to work through any growing pains the MLB’s former top prospect may have. After all, Griffin is just 19. But the potential is there. The club sees it and believes that his breakout is bound to come sooner than later as the team works to make its first postseason since 2015.