Pirates Reassign Top Prospect Griffin to Minors

The Pittsburgh Pirates reassigned highly touted prospect Konnor Griffin to minor league camp on Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Bradenton, Florida, confirming the 19-year-old shortstop will not be part of the team's Opening Day roster.

Griffin, ranked as the top prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, signed with the Pirates as a rookie for a $6.35 million bonus. He impressed in the minors last season, batting .333 across three levels with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases in 2025. However, his spring training performance in the Grapefruit League was mixed, where he hit .171 with four home runs, nine RBIs, and 13 strikeouts in 41 at-bats over 16 games. The Pirates cited the need for further development as the primary reason for the move, reducing the major league camp roster to 34 players.

Manager Don Kelly described the decision as extremely difficult. "The talent that you see, I think he handled himself really well professionally," Kelly told reporters. "We talk about the maturity level as a 19-year-old in big league camp. Really excited about him being a Pirate and what that means for the future of Konnor Griffin and the Pirates." Kelly added that Griffin may have been pressing...