Konnor Griffin Gets Custom Under Armour Cleats for MLB Debut

There is no bigger debut in baseball tonight. Konnor Griffin — still a teenager for three more weeks — is set to become MLB's first teenage position player since Juan Soto debuted in 2018.

The Pittsburgh Pirates called up their top prospect ahead of their 2026 home opener against the Baltimore Orioles, with first pitch at PNC Park scheduled for 4:12 p.m. ET. And if you're watching closely, pay attention to what's on his feet.

Griffin is stepping into the bigs fresh off signing a multi-year cleat and apparel deal with Under Armour — and to mark the occasion, he's debuting in one of the most meticulously crafted custom pairs the sport has seen in recent memory.

Konnor Griffin in a photo shoot for Under Armour. — Konnor Griffin for Under Armour. | Under Armour

The UA Deal

The partnership between Griffin and Under Armour, while newly official, has deeper roots than a press release. Griffin attended a 2022 UA NEXT workout, a program designed to host elite high school athletes with a focus on helping them develop through nutrition, training, and performance. That early connection was clearly the foundation for something longer-lasting.

Now, as the No. 1 prospect in baseball steps onto a big league field for the first time, he's doing it as an official member of Under Armour's star-studded baseball roster — a lineup that includes Bobby Witt Jr., Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, Gunnar Henderson, Juan Soto, Junior Caminero, Masataka Yoshida, and Vinnie Pasquantino. In other words: company that knows something about producing at the highest level.

For Griffin, a 19-year-old who batted .333 with a .942 OPS in 122 games last season, compiling 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, and 65 stolen bases while winning a Gold Glove at shortstop, MLB feels like a natural fit. UA's baseball line has long been home to the game's elite athletes, and Griffin — with his plus-plus speed, plus-plus arm, and electric bat speed out of a 6-foot-3, 222-pound frame — is built in the same mold.

The Cleats: A Masterpiece from Anthony De Lucia

Details on Konnor Griffin's custom Under Armour cleats. — Konnor Griffin's custom Under Armour cleats. | Anthony De Lucia

For tonight's debut, Griffin is working with legendary custom cleat artist Anthony De Lucia of Lucia Footwear Company — a name that needs no introduction to sneaker and sports footwear enthusiasts. De Lucia has been working with Griffin since his senior year in high school, a relationship built through his agents at Excel Sports Management, and tonight's pair is the culmination of that trust and collaboration.

The design brief? Pure Pittsburgh, and pure Konnor.

Griffin went in with a clear aesthetic vision: primarily yellow, with pops of red — colors that echo the Pirates' iconic look while carrying a personal energy that's entirely his own. For design inspiration, De Lucia pulled from a previous pair he created in 2025, a build that featured a pirate skull and a pirate ship on the outer sides. That foundation has been reimagined and elevated for tonight.

Here's what Griffin will be lacing up at PNC Park:

Outer sides: Pirate skull and pirate ship imagery, carried over from the 2025 inspiration build, updated for the debut moment. An old school Pittsburgh Pirates flag and a compass design — with "KG" in place of EW for East West (direction), making it unmistakably Griffin's own.

Pirates logo and MLB Debut patch on the back of the cleats — so every step on the field tonight is stamped with the significance of the moment. Last name and debut date (4-3-26) on the outer heels, rendered in Pirates of the Caribbean font — a detail that is equal parts playful and bold, the kind of personalization that turns a cleat into a conversation piece.

The yellow base pops against the Pittsburgh grass, the red accents echo the Pirates' color palette, and the storytelling packed into every panel of these shoes is the kind of work De Lucia has built his reputation on.

A Debut Worth Dressing For

Griffin is off to a scorching start in Triple-A with a .438/.571/.625 slash line in 21 plate appearances through five games, and he arrives in Pittsburgh amid reports of a potential nine-year contract extension that, once signed, would be the largest ever given to a player before his first MLB appearance.

All eyes will be on Pittsburgh at 4:12 p.m. ET on Friday afternoon. For a player with this much anticipation surrounding him, compared to Bobby Witt Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., and Ronald Acuña Jr., as described by scouts as having all of the tools, size, and pedigree to be a superstar, the footwear deserves to match the moment. Tonight, it does.

Welcome to the show, Konnor. The cleats are ready. Under Armour is ready. Pittsburgh is ready. The only question left is what you'll do with the first at-bat.

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