It’s time to get all aboard the Konnor Griffinhype train. Pittsburgh’s next franchise cornerstone is pounding on the door of the big leagues. The Pirates phenom homered twice Tuesday as Pittsburgh defeated the Red Sox, 16–7, in Grapefruit League action at JetBlue Park.
Griffin entered spring as baseball’s top prospect and, in two swings, showed why. The 19-year-old crushed a hanging curveball from Ranger Suárez, Boston’s top free-agent acquisition this offseason. Griffin's first homer was crushed it 375 feet over the left-field wall for a two-run homer in the second inning.
His second homer was a mammoth 440-foot blast to left-center off reliever Seth Martinez, who is in Sox camp as a non-roster invitee looking to make the team. The ball left Griffin’s bat at 111.2 mph, soaring into the Florida sky.
"Got some good swings off, so kind of smoked them," Griffin told reporters following the win.
No. 1 Prospect Konnor Griffin hits his first #SpringTraining home run! 💪 pic.twitter.com/YllOJIHZLw— MLB (@MLB) February 24, 2026
For the Pirates, the question is whether they’re ready to put a teenager on the Opening Day roster alongside a young core that already includes one of the best pitchers in baseball, Paul Skenes.
Griffin dominated the minors in 2025 and was the consensus Minor League Player of the Year. Across three levels in Pittsburgh’s system, he hit .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs, 23 doubles, four triples, 94 RBIs, 50 walks, 65 stolen bases, and a .942 OPS in 122 games.
The Pirates could slow-play Griffin’s arrival, similar to how they handled Skenes. The former No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft could become one of the few teenagers to crack a Major League roster. If he makes the Opening Day roster — or reaches the majors before his 20th birthday — he would join a rare group that includes Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Andruw Jones, Juan Soto, Alex Rodriguez, Adrián Beltré, and Iván Rodríguez.
Griffin has the makings of a franchise cornerstone. He combines power and speed with strong defense and a plus arm. The Pirates would be taking a calculated risk, but Griffin has the tools to become an immediate impact player.
A potential work stoppage after next season adds another wrinkle. If Griffin starts accruing service time in 2026 and the league were to lose the 2027 season, that’s effectively one fewer year of team control for Pittsburgh. If the Pirates keep Griffin in the minors for a few weeks, and Pittsburgh could secure a seventh year of control by preventing him from earning a full year in 2026.
Konnor Griffin ... WOW 🤯 MLB's No. 1 prospect goes yard AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/F1VTJnWlWB— MLB (@MLB) February 24, 2026
With Skenes, the Pirates waited until May 2024 to call him up, and he was so dominant that he still won National League Rookie of the Year and earned a full year of service anyway. Had they simply put him on the Opening Day roster, they would’ve landed an extra draft pick through the Prospect Promotion Incentive program.
Griffin is reportedly open to a long-term extension, and if the two sides strike a deal this spring or early in the season, the service-time debate would essentially disappear.
"I fully trust what the front office and the coaches and everybody have done, how they're going about it," Griffin said in an interview with ESPN’sJeff Passan. "They've done a great job so far allowing me to be free in the minor leagues and be able to move and continue to face challenges. But this spring, I'm really trying not to think about it too much.
"There's a lot of noise. I'm just trying to treat it just like I did last spring. I knew I had no chance of just making the big league team. And so every day I was just trying to be a sponge and soak up the advice of these great players who've been through it. And I'm trying to do the same thing this year. I know there could be a chance I make the big leagues at some point soon, and that's great, but I just want to feel ready."
With Griffin on the doorstep and one of the game’s best arms fronting the rotation, Pittsburgh feels closer than it has in years. Skenes is the headliner, but the pitching depth behind him is real. Bubba Chandler arrived last season and will pitch in the rotation behind Skenes, Mitch Keller is the veteran of the group and remains as steady as they come, and Jared Jonesis expected back after Tommy John surgery.
The Pirates didn’t promote Chandler until late August last season, opting to let him continue developing at Triple-A before giving him the green light. Some would argue the delay had as much to do with service-time considerations as development, positioning him to qualify for Super Two status after the 2027 season.
There are still questions around former top prospects that were massively hyped up. Oneil Cruz took a step back offensively last season, a reminder that hype doesn’t guarantee production. Former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davishasn’t delivered at the plate, though he continues to provide value defensively behind it.
Konnor Griffin 🤝 Roman Anthony Two of the past year's top prospects share a moment before the Pirates-Red Sox #SpringTraining game! pic.twitter.com/pH0A6pWY6c— MLB (@MLB) February 24, 2026
General manager Ben Cherington bolstered the roster with veterans — the kind of stabilizing additions he once made before Boston’s 2013 breakout. The Red Sox had David Ortizto anchor that lineup and it ultimately led to a World Series' win. In Pittsburgh, Skenes and Griffin have the chance to become the heartbeat of the franchise and a fan base that is dying for a regular playoff contender.
The Pirates added second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder/first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna in a busy offseason. Those bats, mixed with Griffin and the club’s young core, give Pittsburgh a lineup that shouldn’t be overlooked. Add in Pirates veteran bat Bryan Reynolds, the Bucs have a solid veteran core.
Pittsburgh also has young outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, acquired from Boston in the five-player deal that sent Johan Oviedo to the Red Sox. Garcia isn’t on Griffin’s level in terms of raw talent, but he has a legitimate shot to break camp with the big club.
He has just seven Major League at-bats, but the power is obvious. Garcia hit 21 home runs with a .470 slugging percentage last season, continuing a pattern of loud contact that’s followed him throughout the minors. At Triple-A, his 90th-percentile exit velocity reached 105 mph — another sign the power should translate.
"He's going to be a stud, man." Bryce Harper is a big fan of No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin 👏 pic.twitter.com/QiGO3cFVUC— MLB (@MLB) February 23, 2026
Garcia never had a clear path to everyday at-bats in Boston, where the outfield is crowded and heavily left-handed. Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida, and Jarren Duraneither hold roster spots or sit directly ahead of him on the depth chart, leaving little room for him to carve out consistent playing time.
“They did a lot of intriguing things in the offseason,” Alex Corasaid last Tuesday. “They added some veterans and they’ve got good pitching — they really do. They play the game hard. They have some big kids in that organization. We saw it; they’re very physical.”
Putting Griffin on the Opening Day roster would be aggressive — and compelling. Baseball needs its next wave of stars on center stage. He has just 563 professional plate appearances and hasn’t played at Triple-A, so there’s risk.
At some point, Skenes could be taking the ball in Game 1 of a playoff series, with Griffin near the top of the lineup. For the Pirates, that vision doesn’t feel far off.
Red Sox Notes
The battle for the No. 5 spot in the Red Sox rotation has become the top storyline in camp, and left-hander Connelly Earlyhas firmly put himself in the mix.
The box score won’t fully capture it, but Early looked electric in relief. He struck out three and generated eight whiffs over 2 2/3 innings. His four-seam fastball touched 97.1 mph in the first inning Saturday after sitting around 94 mph a year ago. The added strength Early added appears to be paying off. Early packed on 15 pounds of muscle this offseason, and the Red Sox hope the extra weight will help him maintain velocity deeper into games and better handle the grind of a full season.
Kutter Crawford and left-hander Patrick Sandovalrecently threw live batting practice at Fenway South. It marked Crawford’s first time facing hitters since injuring his wrist last summer, while Sandoval worked multiple innings in a simulated setting for the first time this spring. Sandoval believes he’ll be ready for Opening Day, though his role remains unclear.
Both pitchers could be in the mix to win the No. 5 spot in the rotation.
“I don’t want to say I’m not going to be on Opening Day, I don’t want to say I am going to be on Opening Day, either,” Crawford said. “If I’m not, I don’t think it’s going to be much longer after Opening Day for sure, but I plan on spending the majority of the season with the team.”
“I’m not too far behind, I don’t think,” Sandoval added. “Opening Day should not be out of the question.”
Patrick Sandoval, working his way back from TJ surgery and vying for a fifth rotation spot, throwing live BP pic.twitter.com/KF10CFmeKY— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) February 13, 2026
Meanwhile, Franklin Ariaswill start at shortstop Monday against the Blue Jays. The young infield prospect is already regarded as a gifted defender, boasting smooth footwork and strong instincts. At the plate, his bat-to-ball ability stands out. After a strong first year stateside in 2024, the Red Sox felt his attack angle was too steep, leading to more swing-and-miss than his natural contact skills would suggest.
Heading into 2025, Arias made adjustments — standing more upright and flattening his swing path. The results followed. Across three full-season levels, he hit .278/.335/.388 with eight home runs in 116 games and posted a 10.1% strikeout rate — the fifth-lowest among minor leaguers with at least 500 plate appearances.
“We’ll probably see him a lot this week, it will be good for me to see him play and him to be around big leaguers and playing against big leaguers,” Cora said. “We’ll pick and choose what we want to do but there’s going to be certain guys that will come and they will start, they’re not going to be backups. We’ll need a lot of them.”
Alex Cora is stepping up with a massive pledge to the Jimmy Fund! Cora: "As soon as somebody hits 20 home runs, I'm going to give $20,000 to the Jimmy Fund." #AlexCora #JimmyFund #RedSox pic.twitter.com/wewVXbUJ7m— WEEI (@WEEI) February 27, 2026
Cora is confident the Red Sox have enough pop in the lineup that he’s putting his money behind it — literally.
The Sox' skipper pledged to donate $20,000 to the Jimmy Fund once a Red Sox player reaches the 20-home run mark this season.
“I got something for you guys,” Cora said during an appearance Friday on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.”“I always do a pledge for the Jimmy Fund, and I know the power thing is a theme in Boston. As soon as somebody hits 20 home runs, I’m gonna give $20,000 to the Jimmy Fund.”
It’ll be worth watching who gets there first. Willson Contreras feels like the most obvious candidate, though Trevor Story(25 homers) and Abreu (22) both cleared the 20-homer mark last season.
More Camp Buzz
Braiden Ward stole two more bags on Saturday. Cora was asked about his blazing speed and how it could help the Red Sox this season.
“The speed is real," Cora said. "He’s one of these guys that is very unique, and we’ll see what happens during the season, but thinking ahead those are the guys that you need in September, you need in October. We might need him before, but he’s getting our attention.”
Hard-throwing reliever Tayron Guerrero, a non-roster invitee in Red Sox camp, has pulled out of the World Baseball Classic and won't pitch for Team Colombia.
Sonny Graymade his spring debut Saturday and wasn’t particularly sharp. He went 1 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs while walking two and striking out one. He threw 31 pitches — 13 for strikes — generated two whiffs, and topped out at 92.4 mph with his fastball.
Noah Song pumping 97. pic.twitter.com/7wP8hkON9c— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) February 28, 2026
Noah Songcame on in relief again Saturday and recorded four outs without allowing a hit. He struck out two, and his fastball showed good life, topping out at 96.7 mph.
Duran has hit three homers over his last two games, batting out of the number three spot in the lineup. When Duran is not playing the field and penciled in as the DH, could the Sox give him the green light to run wild on the base paths? He had 24 stolen bases in ’23 and ’25 and 34 during his All-Star season in 2024.
Brayan Bellohas been underwhelming this spring, and now he’ll shift gears to join the Dominican Republic, starting this week in exhibition play against the Tigers.
Through two outings, he’s generated some weak contact, but the right-hander’s 24.30 ERA over 3 1/3 innings is hard to ignore. He’s allowed nine runs on eight hits and two walks while opponents are hitting .471 against him. The defense hasn’t done him many favors, but the results haven’t been pretty.
Bello has the tools to be a solid mid-to-back-end rotation arm, yet with higher-upside arms around him competing for roles, he’ll need to make meaningful adjustments to separate himself.
The Red Sox might continue to get a closer look at 19-year-old prospect Justin Gonzalez. The slugger crushed a 110 mph line out off Rays’ Chase Soleskyand with the entire outfield heading to the WBC, he’s a logical choice to get reps with the big league club.
Around the League
The Royals agreed to a one-year deal with veteran outfielder Starling Marte, adding bench depth and another right-handed bat. Marte, 37, is a two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner with 14 years of big league experience. He spent the past four seasons with the Mets and appeared in 98 games last year.
Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell is unlikely to open the season in the rotation. He reported to camp behind schedule after slow-playing his offseason throwing program due to lingering discomfort in his left shoulder — the same issue that sidelined him for four months last year. The Dodgers haven’t provided a firm timetable, but Snell is not expected to pitch before May at the earliest.
Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson took reps at third base Saturday before departing for the World Baseball Classic. The 24-year-old hadn’t played third in a game since 2023 but could see time there in the tournament. With Henderson at third, Coby Mayoshifted to shortstop — a position he hadn’t played since high school.
The Twins received encouraging news on Joe Ryan, whose back issue was diagnosed as inflammation. He threw a bullpen session Saturday and he'll be cautious and bow out of the WBC and be replaced by Ryan Yarbrough. Meanwhile, Pablo Lópezunderwent right elbow surgery Feb. 25 to repair his UCL with an internal brace and will miss the entire 2026 season.
Old friend Rafael Deverswas scratched from Friday’s Cactus League lineup against the Dodgers due to left hamstring tightness. He’s expected to miss a few days, and the club will re-evaluate him after that. Devers hit 35 home runs with 109 RBI last season, appearing in 90 games with San Francisco and 73 with Boston.
