Konnor Griffin wrapped up his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Pirates on a high note.
Konnor Griffin isn’t going to win Rookie of the Year, which is something the Pittsburgh Pirates likely hoped he would be in contention for when the team called him up just a few series after Opening Day.
That doesn’t mean that Griffin’s first big-league season was disappointing, though. Sure, there were some ups and downs, learning curves, exciting moments, and everything in between, but that's expected for a player who made his MLB debut as a teenager.
Griffin’s final slash line for the 2026 season was .272/.324/.404. The numbers that Pittsburgh should be focusing on and encouraged by, though, are Griffin’s stats over the final few weeks of the season.
Griffin missed nearly two calendar months of the season after an injury to his glove hand in the middle of July.
Griffin was on track to finish as one of the top rookies in the league before the injury, and continued to make an impact after his return.
Sep 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) throws to first base for an out against St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (not pictured) during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesGriffin was eager to get back on the field and made his return shortly after he was eligible to come off the injured list. The good news for the rookie is that he didn’t skip a beat once he got back on a big-league field.
From the time Griffin returned to the lineup on September 4 to the final game of the regular season on September 27, he logged a .264/.304/.402 slash line. Griffin’s OPS over his final seven games was .885, which included a home run during the final weekend of the season.
All things considered, seeing Griffin end the season on such a high note was a great sign for the Pirates for a couple of reasons.
First, Griffin and the Pirates can take into account that their superstar rookie is starting the winter healthy.
Instead of rehabbing or questioning whether or not he rushed back from the injury, Griffin can focus on making meaningful improvements over the next few months, instead of trying to get back to where he was during the first half of the season.
The other is that Griffin proved once again that he belongs in the Majors. There are plenty of players who are selected in the first round of the draft that never pan out, but it doesn’t look like Griffin will be one of those.
The 20-year-old jumped right back into the action after missing nearly eight weeks and barely getting a rehab assignment, and made an immediate impact, too.
Pittsburgh should be eager to see what Griffin can do in his second full season after such a strong finish.
