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It has to be difficult for anyone to imagine being 19 years old, playing professional baseball at the highest level, and earning a lucrative long-term contract because of it.
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin won’t have to think about that anymore. He is living it.
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Konnor Griffin of the Pittsburgh Pirates practices in the infield before making his major league debut in the Pirates’ home opener against the Baltimore Orioles in Pittsburgh on April 3, 2026. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)
Griffin and the Pirates finalized a nine-year contract extension on Wednesday. The contract is worth $140 million, according to multiple reports. The phenom was considered the No. 1 prospect in baseball at the start of the season, according to MLB Pipeline.
He was called up to the major leagues earlier this month, making his debut on April 3. He’s not exactly off to the best start, going 3-for-17 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. But he was 2-for-4 against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.
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Ryan O’Hearn of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates with Konnor Griffin after a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Pittsburgh on April 3, 2026. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)
Griffin, who will turn 20 on April 24, received a major endorsement from star pitcher Paul Skenes.
“He’s the player we all know he is and will be,” Skenes said. “Sometimes it takes a little time to break out. It was nice to see today. It’s going to be exciting to see.”
He added that Griffin was a “major league player through and through.”
Griffin’s deal is the largest contract in Pirates history, according to MLB.com.
“It feels great knowing I’ll be a Pittsburgh Pirate for a long time,” Griffin said. “The goal is to win every year. And I think we can achieve it.
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin breaks his bat on San Diego Padres pitcher Germán Márquez’s throw and groundout to end the bottom of the second inning in Pittsburgh on April 6, 2026. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)
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“It’ll be nice to have everything behind me and now I can just go play baseball.”
