Konnor Griffin Rises Up Pirates Batting Order After MLB Debut
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PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin is with the Pittsburgh Pirates and is already moving up the lineup after just making his MLB debut a day prior.
Griffin stays at shortstop vs. the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park, but moves up one spot from seventh to sixth in the batting order, as first baseman Spencer Horwitz moves down to seventh from sixth.
It comes after Griffin made his MLB debut vs. the Orioles in the home opener on April 3 and had a strong showing, hitting an RBI-double in his first at-bat, which was one of four runs the Pirates scored in the bottom of the second inning in the eventual 5-4 win.
Griffin made some strong plays at shortstop, walked and even successfully challenged a third strike call for ABS in the following at-bat, before striking out.
The 19-year old is the consensus top prospect in baseball and should serve as the Pirates shortstop for the future, which has already come now, even after the Pirates took him ninth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Jackson Preparatory School in Jackson, Miss.
Griffin moving up the lineup shows the confidence Pirates manager Don Kelly has in him, as the young star can hit for contact and power, steal bases with his incredible speed and has graet defensive potential at shortstop.
Overview of the Pirates Lineup vs. Orioles
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Oneil Cruz | Center Field | Left |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Field | Switch |
Ryan O'Hearn | Right Field | Left |
Marcell Ozuna | Designated Hitter | Right |
Konnor Griffin | Shortstop | Right |
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Nick Gonzales | Third Base | Right |
Joey Bart | Catcher | Right |
The Pirates made two personnel changes, as Nick Gonzales comes in for Jared Triolo and hits eighth, while Joey Bart takes over at catcher from Henry Davis and hits ninth.
Bart will serve as the catcher for Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski, after Davis did for his first start. Mlodzinski threw 4.1 innings vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 29, posting a career-high eight strikeouts and allowing two runs in a no-decision.
Gonzales makes his fifth start at third base this season, after making just two appearances at the position in the major leagues prior.
Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna moves down one spot from fourth to fifth in the batting order, switching with right fielder Ryan O'Hearn.
Ozuna has struggled from the plate to start 2026, with just one hit in 23 at-bats for a .043 batting average.
The Pirates keep the same outfield, with center fielder Oneil Cruz leading off and left fielder Bryan Reynolds hitting third, and second baseman Brandon Lowe completes the lineup by hitting second.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.