Top Prospect Konnor Griffin Showing Growing Pains With Pirates
Despite record contract, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin faces early struggles.
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Pirates gave a warning that Konnor Griffin would struggle at times in the major leagues despite being universally considered the best prospect in baseball coming into spring training. It didn’t matter if Griffin was the Minor League Player of the Year last season. It also didn’t matter that he signed a franchise-record contract last week that will pay him $140 million over nine years.
Griffin is just 19, and a teenager playing shortstop in the major leagues is going to make mistakes. Griffin had a crucial miscue on Thursday in the Pirates’ 8-7 loss to the Washington Nationals at PNC Park. Pittsburgh (11-8) split the four-game series and opens a three-game home set on Friday night with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The game was scoreless in the fifth inning when the Nationals loaded the bases with one out. Luis García Jr. hit a ground ball just to the left of second base.
Griffin fielded it but didn’t get to the bag in time to force Nasim Nuñez, and then spiked the ball when he tried to throw to first base. Three runs scored on the play. García then came home on a wild pickoff throw by pitcher Braxton Ashcraft to make it 4-0.