Pittsburgh Pirates Have Konnor Griffin Loving Life
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PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin hasn't been in MLB that long, but he's right where he wants to be as the starting shortstop of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Griffin made his MLB debut in the Pirates home opener vs. the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on April 3 and has just completed his first month in the big leagues after a series at home vs. the Cincnnati Reds, May 1-3.
The 20-year old had a great showing vs. the Reds, with six hits in 12 at-bats, with a double, a triple and three RBI, as the Pirates earned a big sweep of their National League Central Division rival.
Griffin got the adulation of the home fans, especially with his big hits, making for a fantastic weekend in Pittsburgh for the rookie.
"Just glad to be home," Griffin said. "Glad to be back in front of our fans. It feels right playing here. Been working super hard behind closed doors. Just gonna go and try to win a lot of games here for our fans."
Konnor Griffin Loving Life in Pittsburgh
Griffin has already committed his future to the Pirates, as he signed a nine-year, $140 million contract extension back on May 8.
He will stay with the Pirates through the end of his 20s and is on the largets contract in franchise history, a big commitment for a player so young.
Griffin has had some struggles, but since turning 20 on April 24, he's been hitting incredibly well, slashing .405/.463/.676 for an OPS of 1.139, with 15 hits in 37 at-bats, two doubles, eight RBI and three stolen bases.
This also includes his first two home runs in the major leagues, with his first coming on his birthday in the 6-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.
Griffin is now slashing .262/.325/.398 for an OPS of .723 over 29 games this season and he credits his teammates for helping him out and being in the city where he's right where he wants to be.
"It's been good to get settled in," Griffin said. "I feel like I have a home here in Pittsburgh. Just a good locker room. Everybody supports you. I'm just glad to be out there every day, working hard and doing what I love."
Griffin Believes in Pirates Success in 2026
The Pirates sweep of the Reds came after their worst skid of the season, a five-game losing streak, which included a four-game sweep by the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park, April 27-30.
Losing that many games in a row can beat down a team and send their season on a spiral, but Griffin and the Pirates rebounded and finished their homestand the best way they could, something the rookie noted as a big difference in the team from last season.
"That was a real tough series," Griffin said. "To lose four games in a row -- five if you go back to Milwaukee -- it just shows that we're a different clubhouse this year. We're not going to lay down. We're just going to keep grinding and competing every day."
The Pirates are 19-16, but are four games back in the NL Central, as the entire division has all five teams above .500.
Pittsburgh has had success against their division, winning four of the five series, including a 9-7 record so far, or 9-3 outside of their latest series vs. the Cardinals.
The Pirates two out of three games in their first three divisional series, all of which were on the road, which came against the Reds at Great American Ball Park, March 30-April 1, the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, April 10-12, and the Brewers, April 24-26.
Griffin is confident in the Pirates and what they can achieve this season, but with so many games remaining, patience is key to getting towards the goal of the playoffs.
"I think we just take it game by game," Griffin said. "When we look up in 100 games, we'll see where we're at. The goal is to try to win every game we play that's in front of us and gonna take it one at a time."
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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.