Pirates Call Up Griffin, Aim for Shortstop Upgrade

0:00It's April 2nd, from first pitch to the final out. This is MLB News today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Pittsburgh Pirates making ways with their home opener, Friday, calling of 19-year-old phenom Connor Griffin from AAA Indianapolis to lock. Down shortstop. This top prospect, their 2024 first round pick, bounced back fears after a rocky spring, hitting 438 with 7 hits and just 16 at bats, plus 3 doubles and a 1.196 OPS. Earlier this spring, Griffin admitted he pressed too hard, chasing pitches and struggling against fastballs, batting just 0.171 over 16 gains with. Eleven strikeouts in his last 27 at bats. Pirates sent him down March 21 to refocus, and he delivered exactly what they wanted. Better swing choices, 5 walks, only 4 whiffs. Fans and front office buzzing because the Pirates' short stops rank 17th in OPS at 0.546 through

1:016 games with the fence lagging bad. Second worst in baseball, per fan graphs. Jared Triollo and Nick Gonzalez held it down early, but production's been weak and Griffin's the clear upgrade to Spark wins now. Digging deeper, this kid dominated Miners last year, slashing 333 with a tie 942 OPS over 123 games, 23 doubles, 21 homers, 94. RBIs, 65 steals, even snagged a gold glove in center. Contract extension talks simmering too, but baseball drives this call up. Griffin stays humble, grinding daily like he told everyone in Florida, aiming for Hall of Fame status without the ego. Pirates stacking the deck for that opener, summoning their best young gun to turn the infield around and chase contention, right out the gate.