Pirates' Konnor Griffin is one change away from making $140M contract worth it

wcc

Apr 30, 2026 - 14:37

0 0

Pirates' Konnor Griffin is one change away from making $140M contract worth it originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Pittsburgh Pirates did something very uncharacteristic of them, as they signed a massive $140 million extension with Konnor Griffin, the top prospect in baseball.

It was a bold decision, but one that makes a lot of sense for the Pirates to keep their superstar prospect around for the long haul. And so far, he's provided plenty of excitement.

But, as ESPN's Jeff Passan highlighted, if Griffin can make just one change and start pulling the ball a bit more, he could make that $140 million contract seem worth it in just his rookie year.

Konnor Griffin needs to pull the ball more in the air

"Once Griffin starts pulling the ball a little more, his .230/.292/.345 line will balloon and all the hype around the 6-foot-3, 222-pound phenom - and his nine-year, $140 million contract - will make more sense," Passan writes.

Griffin has a .635 OPS this season so far, which isn't nearly worth the $140 million contract he recently signed this season. But it's still early in his career.

To get that number higher, Griffin will need to start pulling the ball more often. He has two homers, but both were to the opposite field.

More: Three ways Pirates' Paul Skenes could lose NL Cy Young Award

That's a good sign that he can go the other way with power, but he does need to start pulling the ball to become a true superstar like his immense potential indicates he can be.

While there's more to becoming a superstar for Griffin than simply pulling the ball more often, it's a good starting point to tap into his power more in the big leagues.

He's one of the most exciting prospects in recent MLB history. While his start hasn't exactly been the best, there is a lot of reason to like what Griffin has done and can do going forward, especially if he starts pulling the ball more often.