What Pirates' Ben Cherington Needs to See From Konnor Griffin at Triple-A
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PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin isn't currently with the Pittsburgh Pirates to start the 2026 season, but that doesn't mean general manager Ben Cherington isn't closely monitoring his progress early on.
Griffin just finished his first series with Triple-A Indianapolis, after spending almost all of Spring Training in Major League Camp, pushing for a spot with the Pirates for Opening Day.
He didn't end up making it, but the 19-year old is still the top consensus prospect in baseball and one that looks primed for a long future with hte Pirates.
Cherington spoke on his radio show on 93.7 The Fan on March 29 about Griffin and what they need to see from him going forward.
He said that Griffin must face more veteran pitchers and how they approach hitters, so that Griffin can understand what he'll encounter when he continues moving up and makes the Pirates roster at some point this season.
“Well some of it is just, we are looking for the things that we expect, which is the things he’s always done." Cherington said. "It’s bringing his work ethic, attitude, learner’s mindset, desire to get better at the park every day. He’s going to continue to do that because that’s who he is and we’ll continue to look for that.
"From an onfield skills standpoint, I think a couple things to just sort of keeping looking at are settling into at-bats against an older form of pitcher. He had a 100 plate appearances in Double-A last year. He hasn’t faced a lot of older pitchers yet.
"He got a little taste of it in Spring Training. He’ll get more of that now in Triple-A. With older pitchers, it’s not that you’re seeing different velocities so much, because guys throw hard in A-ball too and guys have good breaking balls in A-ball. It’s more about the consistency of how they command, how they sequence, the way they’re setting hitters up.Those are the things that change a little bit as you get to Triple-A.
"So I think it’s seeing him over some period of time, manage that, adjust to that kind of pitching and seeing it play it out in his at-bats, the consistency of his at-bats, along with the things that you know he’s going to bring every day, which is that great attitude, athleticism and ability to impact the game in different ways.
"Excited to see him continue to develop in Triple-A. We’ve got a lot of guys around him that are going to challenge him, he’s going to challenge them. It’s going to be a fun group to watch."
Konnor Griffin's Strong Start to 2026
Griffin didn't have the best stats in Spring Training, batting just .171, but with a team-high four home runs, there were clear reasons why fans wanted him up for Opening Day.
He played well for Indianapolis in their series against the St. Paul Saints, Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, starting all three games at shortstop and leading off.
Griffin slashed .500/.615/.700 for an OPS of 1.315 in his first series, with five hits in 10 at-bats, two doubles, three runs scored, an RBI, three walks to three strikeouts and two stolen bases.
He had both of his doubles in his most recent game at Victory Field on March 29, the first he hit 102.4 mph off the left field wall that was almost a home run and the second he hit 112.9 mph that he ended up out after stretching it into a triple.
One important stat for Griffin going forward is his three walks to three strikeouts, as he had just two walks all of Spring Training.
If Griffin can continue improving his plate discipline and making good contact/getting on base more, he'll improve his chances of making the major league roster earlier on.
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.