Pirates' Konnor Griffin is one change away from making $140M contract worth it
Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin, who signed a $140 million contract, has shown early struggles in his rookie season with a .230 batting average and .635 OPS. Analysts believe that if he begins pulling the ball more, especially in the air, his performance could significantly improve. His current power display to the opposite field suggests potential, but adjustments are seen as key to fulfilling his superstar promise.
- ▪Konnor Griffin is the top prospect in baseball and signed a nine-year, $140 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- ▪Griffin has a .230/.292/.345 batting line and two home runs, both hit to the opposite field, through the early part of the 2026 season.
- ▪ESPN's Jeff Passan suggests that pulling the ball more in the air could unlock Griffin's power and make his contract a value.
- ▪The Pirates rarely commit to long-term deals, making Griffin's extension a notable shift in team strategy.
- ▪Griffin's potential has drawn significant attention, with comparisons to elite prospects due to his physical tools and performance in the minors.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pirates-konnor-griffin-one-change-142514694.html","headline":"Pirates' Konnor Griffin is one change away from making $140M contract worth it","datePublished":"2026-04-30T14:25:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-30T14:25:14.000Z","keywords":["Pittsburgh Pirates","Konnor Griffin","Paul Skenes","Red Sox","Roman Anthony"],"description":"Konnor Griffin is on the cusp of a true breakout in the Major Leagues.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Yahoo Sports","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://s.yimg.com/cv/apiv2/default/icons/favicon_y112_112.png","width":112,"height":112},"url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Matt…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Yahoo Sports.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Yahoo Sports
