Pirates’ Paul Skenes can’t wait for Konnor Griffin’s debut

The Pittsburgh Pirates appear poised to usher in a new era on Friday, with shortstop Konnor Griffin, MLB’s top prospect, in line to make his debut.

The Pirates open at home Friday against the Baltimore Orioles.

Fans had to wait a week to see Griffin in action, but excitement extends beyond the stands. Fellow Pirate and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, right-hander Paul Skenes, said he’s “fired up” for Griffin’s first game.

“[If] Bucco fans needed anything else to get excited about for the home opener … they got it,” Skenes said Thursday on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Skenes praised Griffin’s poise at just 19, calling him “super mature” and adding: “[He’s] going to bring energy and, obviously, a skill set to Pittsburgh.”

Griffin, who won't turn 20 until April 24, will be the youngest player to debut since All-Star shortstop/third baseman Alex Rodriguez with the Seattle Mariners in 1994 at 18 years and 346 days old.

Griffin is expected to be the first teen to make his big-league debut since outfielder Juan Soto for Washington in 2018.

Paul Skenes knows the level of fanfare that Konnor Griffin faces

At 19, and as the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball, Griffin arrives with immense expectations. Having Skenes as a teammate should help the Mississippi-born infielder learn how to handle life in the big leagues.

Skenes knows that spotlight well. The right-hander, widely viewed as a can’t-miss prospect, carried similar hype after going No. 1 overall in 2023 out of LSU. He debuted less than a year later, on May 11, 2024, and went on to win National League Rookie of the Year honors.

He followed that with a dominant season, finishing third in Cy Young voting and 19th in MVP voting after going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings.

Griffin arrives in Pittsburgh on a tear, hitting .438 with a 1.196 OPS at Triple-A Indianapolis and drawing more walks (five) than strikeouts (four) through his first five games. Last season, across three levels from High-A to Double-A, he hit .333 with a .941 OPS and 21 home runs in 122 games.