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.
“I was just trying to make a play for Braxton,” Griffin said. “Fielded it, thought I had a chance to get second, turn and throw, my back leg got stuck under (Garcia’s). At that point, I just tried to hold onto it. It kind of slipped out of my hand, and three runs scored. That’s on me. Keep working on that.”
Pirates manager Don Kelly thought that Griffin tried to do too much on the play in an attempt to turn an inning-ending double play. That’s just growing pains for a neophyte big-leaguer, though.
"I think that right there, if anything, just make sure we get one out,” Kelly said. “I think it was a really strange play because he went into the bag, and it looked like the slide impeded the throw, but he didn't really go out of his way to do it, so I didn't think there was any intent on the runner's part. Just something that, as uber-athletic as Konnor is, he's trying to make a play right there. I think if anything, just make sure we get one.”
Griffin atoned for the mistake in a two-run eighth inning when he ripped an RBI triple off the center field fence. However, Griffin is hitting .214/.292/.310 through his first 13 major-league games.
Griffin knew the transition to the big leagues wouldn’t be easy and is not panicking.
“The results are going to come, I’m just trusting the process,” Griffin said. “I just try to be the same guy every day, just trust that I’ve put in enough work preparing myself for the games. When I get on the field, just let whatever happens happen.”
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