Pirates' Konnor Griffin Celebrates 20th Birthday With Major MLB Milestone

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin has checked off another first at the start of his big league career.

Griffin, MLB Pipeline's No. 1 overall prospect for 2026, hit his first MLB home run off the Milwaukee Brewers' two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff on Friday, which just so happens to be his birthday. The now 20-year-old crushed a 1-1 fastball 386 feet to right-center field with an exit velocity of 104.4 mph to give the Pirates and ace Paul Skenes an early 1-0 lead. The rookie was even comedically greeted with the traditional silent treatment from his teammates when he returned to the dugout after rounding the bases.

As a 19-year-old, Griffin began his MLB career 12-for-66 at the plate in his first 19 games. But now, the young shortstop's first big league blast could be a sign that he's about to break out offensively.

This might be the start of a hot streak for Konnor Griffin

Apr 19, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) celebrates after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Whether it was his highly anticipated MLB debut or the signing of his nine-year, $140 million contract extension, Griffin has been a constant presence in the news so far in 2026. But before Friday, the young shortstop had not yet seen the same offensive success with Pittsburgh that he had in the minors.

In his first full season of professional baseball last year, the 2024 ninth-overall draft pick hit .333 with 21 homers, 94 RBIs, and 65 stolen bases in 122 games across three minor league levels. He followed that up by going 7-for-16 in his first five Triple-A games this year before getting called up to join the Pirates.

At the time of publication, Griffin is 2-for-3 on Friday, adding a single and a stolen base to his birthday performance. Before this game, though, the young shortstop was 0-for-11 in his last three games and had just two hits in his previous 21 at-bats.

Many Pirates fans will undoubtedly hope that this latest showing can get the top prospect on a bit of a roll at the plate. But through all the excitement of his first MLB homer, it's still important to keep in mind that Griffin literally just turned 20. This is only the beginning of what could be an incredibly promising career.

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