Pirates' Konnor Griffin Forced to Grow Up Quickly
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PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin just finished his 2026 season, and it was a much harder rookie campaign than the Pittsburgh Pirates would've hoped for.
Griffin went from the top prospect in baseball to the Pirates' starting shortstop for the future very quickly, but injuries slowed down his process in 2026.
The 20-year-old stays with the Pirates for the next decade, signing a nine-year, $140 million contract extension soon after his MLB debut.
Griffin gets the offseason to reset, rest and build for 2027, but he'll remember what he went through in 2026 to help him in the future.
Injuries Slow Down Griffin's Progress as Rookie
Griffin played the first two months of the season, but a right forearm flexor muscle strain sidelined him for 22 games from May 31 to June 26.
He played well over the next 10 games, but then suffered a left ring sagittal band injury, which forced him to miss 51 games from July 7 to Sept. 4.
Griffin played 80 of a possible 156 games in 2026, about 51%, preventing him from reaching his full potential in his first year.
It was tough for Griffin to miss that much time, but he was pleased with his play over the final three weeks of the season, which should set him up for 2027.
"I would just say like going on two ILs wasn't easy," Griffin said after the season finale on Sept. 27. "Missing probably three months or so. I wanted to come back and finish strong, finish the right way, be a part of the fight, and just I'm proud of the way I was able to get out of the hole I was in with the injuries and be able to come back and just keep getting as comfortable as I could.
"I feel like I ended I'm in a good spot. I keep saying I'm hungry for more I know I got a lot more that I can show and bring to this team, and I'm pumped to go keep exploring, figuring out what type of player I'm going to be."
What Griffin Learned in 2026
The Pirates clinched their first winning season since 2018 by finishing 82-80 in 2026, but still missed out on the postseason, which they aimed for all year long.
Griffin's injuries hurt them in that regard, and the Pirates would've been much better off if he had played the vast majority of games.
He is just 20 years old, but he realized a great deal during his rookie season, what the team needs and what he has to do going forward to stay on the field.
Griffin will take some time off to recuperate from this long season, but he's determined to get back out there and start preparing for next season and a playoff push.
"i've got a lot. Early games in the year matter a lo We've really got to take care of business off the jump next year. I think we kind of put ourselves in a hole where we could have been better sitting in the playoff race than we were, trying to just make the last wild card. That's not our standard. We should shoot to be top in our division.
"And then personally, I keep saying I've got to manage my workload a little better. Early in the year, I was just trying to do as much as I could before the games to be as prepared as I could be. Sometimes, you've got to manage the workload, just get the ground balls I need, not take 200 swings a day, take 30, 40, and then be ready to rock.
"I could go on and on. There's a lot of things I learned, but it's going to be a good offseason going into it with this experience. I'm excited about next year, for sure."
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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.