Pirates' Konnor Griffin is Only Going to Improve, and That's Scary for Baseball

It wasn't a perfect year for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but there was a lot to like on both sides of the baseball. If the Pirates had played at a higher level for much of the season, things likely would have been very different. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, that wasn't the case, and it's something that it has to deal with throughout this offseason.

Among the many positives, however, was that Pittsburgh still has a boatload of young talent. If this organization can continue to develop guys at a very high level, it's going to find itself in a very good position. 

At the top of the priority list is Konnor Griffin, the young star 20-year-old shortstop who proved in his first Major League season that when he's healthy, he has an argument to be the best young player in baseball.

Unfortunately, Griffin dealt with injuries throughout the campaign, which hurt his rookie season a bit.

Still, he was excellent when he played, finishing with a .272 average and a .728 OPS. 

As a rookie who dealt with some injuries, those are great numbers, and it seems like it's only the beginning. He told reporters he needed to improve recently, admitting he put a bit too much pressure on himself earlier in his rookie season.

“I wanted to come back and finish strong, finish the right way, be a part of the fight,” Griffin said. “I’m proud of the way I was able to get out of the hole I was in with the injuries and be able to come back and just keep getting as comfortable as I could. I feel like I ended in a good spot…

“Early in the year, I was just trying to do as much as I could before the games to be as prepared as I could be,” Griffin said of his workload, per Pittsburgh Baseball Now. “Sometimes, you’ve got to manage the workload, just get the ground balls I need, not take 200 swings a day. Take 30, 40, and then be ready to rock.”

If this is just the start of what Griffin is eventually going to be in his career, the future is as bright as any player in Major League Baseball. 

This is a guy who understands what it takes to play at a very high level and proved that he can do that at such a young age. 

Of course, there are likely going to be some struggles here and there from a player who is just 20 years old, but Griffin fits the part, and there's something to be said about that.