Opinion: The Pirates rookie phenom Konnor Griffin may be overrated

Konnor Griffin (YouTube)

One of the biggest stories of the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season is the fact that 19-year-old Konnor Griffin of Jackson, Mississippi has become the first teenage position player to play a Major League Baseball regular season game since Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals accomplished the feat in 2018.

However, in looking at his statistics, one may think that Griffin has simply not accomplished much yet. The reason is because the rookie shortstop is only batting .111. That’s right. After his first nine at bats, Griffin only has one hit, which was a RBI double. It came in a 5-4 Pirates win over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.

Griffin was the Pirates’s first round pick, ninth overall, in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft. Does he have the potential to be great in the future? The answer is possibly. Just not now. In his 12 plate appearances so far, Griffin has reached base four times (twice via a walk, once from a double, and once because he was hit by a pitch), but the fact he is 89 points below the Mendoza Line simply cannot be ignored.

However, Griffin is not the only batter this season hitting below the Mendoza Line. So far this season, there are four notable batters who are batting below .100. They are New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (.087), Pirates designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (.074), Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (.071), and Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo (.067).

Despite Griffin’s significant struggles in attempting to hit the baseball, the Pirates have got off to a solid start to the season. They swept the Orioles, have a regular season record of six wins and three losses, and are in second place in the National League Central. They are only one game back of the first place Milwaukee Brewers.