Ken Rosenthal Preaches Patience Amid Konnor Griffin's Disappointing Start

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Ken Rosenthal Preaches Patience Amid Konnor Griffin's Disappointing Start originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Maybe the Pittsburgh Pirates were right to have Konnor Griffin start the year in Triple-A.

After batting just .171/.261/.488 with four home runs, 13 strikeouts and two walks during spring training, the Pirates re-assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis to start the year, apparently to give the 19-year-old shortstop some additional experience after just one season of pro ball.

That didn't last long, however, as he spent just five games at Triple-A before being called up, making him the youngest starting shortstop to make his Major League debut in over 30 years.

Pittsburgh may have rushed him a bit, however, as he's still struggling to hit Major League pitching. After his uneven spring, he's hitting a mere .138/.235/.172 with no home runs, 10 strikeouts and two walks over his first 34 MLB plate appearances.

While MLB's top prospect may need to return to Triple-A for additional seasoning at some point, Ken Rosenthal doesn't think the Pirates are at that point yet. After all, it's only been nine games.

If the Pirates detect that Konnor Griffin is mentally overwhelmed, a trip back to the minors might be in order, but they're not there yet, says @Ken_Rosenthal.

"He should be given the chance to figure it out." pic.twitter.com/rRaIuxWkBZ

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) April 13, 2026

"Offensively, Griffin has certainly not produced big numbers. It's a small sample," Rosenthal said on Monday's episode of "Foul Territory." "You have to expect that some of this is going to occur... He should be given the chance to figure it out."

Rosenthal cited Mike Trout as an example of an MLB phenom who struggled in their first taste of the big leagues before quickly hitting his stride. Alex Rodriguez was another.

In other words, Griffin's struggles are not unusual and merit more patience before Pittsburgh considers moving him down, especially considering the historic amount of money they just gave him. He's at least playing good defense and running the bases well, so he's still finding other ways to contribute amid his slow start at the plate.

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