Pirates’ Konnor Griffin already has himself on a wild Mount Rushmore

When you look at the payday for Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin, it’s no surprise the predictions are bold in 2026. And Griffin took it one step further, putting himself on a wild Mount Rushmore, according to a post on X by Talkin’ Baseball.

“Konnor Griffin’s Mount Rushmore of shortstops he watched:

Derek Jeter
Bobby Witt Jr.
Corey Seager
Konnor Griffin (via @See_Hendo)”

It hasn’t exactly been a Mount Rushmore start to Griffin’s career. The soon-to-be 20-year-old phenom is hitting just .194 in 18 games. His on-base percentage is woeful at .261. And he has zero home runs with eight RBIs.

Pirates still high on SS Konnor Griffin for 2026

The best news for Griffin is that he hasn’t been overmatched defensively, according to MLB.com.

“He can impact the game in different ways,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “Feel confident saying he’s made the team better since he’s been here.”

One thing the Pirates are doing is easing Griffin into the everyday grind with some planned days off, according to Sports Illustrated.

“When he does get a day, basically there’s two things going on,” Cherington said. “One, is that he’s 19. The major league game is really hard. And we knew that he was going to be learning from it and making adjustments, and in real time here, also in a position to try to help us win games.

“Every once in a while, we see benefit in a young player having a day where they can just take a bit of a breath. Watch the game. Kind of process it in a different way. Learn from that experience.”

Cherington said he wants Griffin to still be ready on those days off.

“He might still, on those days, he’s still ready to play,” Cherington said. “He might still come in for defense or do something on those days. Where it’s not like a full, just absolute day off. It’s just he’s not starting the game. It gives him a chance to take the breath.

“The other reason, as we think about just the daily routine of players over the course of a week.”

The post Pirates’ Konnor Griffin already has himself on a wild Mount Rushmore appeared first on ClutchPoints.