Pirates fly up the power rankings with Konnor Griffin in tow
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The Pittsburgh Pirates did not have the start that they had hoped for. On Opening Day against the New York Mets, Paul Skenes was chased out of the first inning after he gave up a few runs.
They would go on to lose the game 11-7 and lose the second game as well, losing the series. However, they were able to win their next series against the Cincinnati Reds.
For their third series, the front office decided it was time to unleash the top prospect in all of baseball, Konnor Griffin. He made his MLB debut on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles, and he wasted no time getting involved.
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Pirates fly up the power rankings with Konnor Griffin in tow
In Griffin's first at-bat, he got a pitch he was looking for, sending it to the gap in center. It was an easy double for the youngster and an RBI moment that he will never forget.
The Buccos went on to win the game 5-4, but it did not stop there. They also won the second and third game of the series, sweeping the O's, and they now find themselves in second place in the NL Central early.
Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter came out with his latest power rankings recently, and in it, he has the Pirates making the jump from No. 23 to No. 6, the highest jump of any team in the power rankings.
"A quick look at how the new and improved Pirates offense is faring compared to last season:
2025: .231 BA (28th), .665 OPS (30th), 117 HR (30th)
2026: .240 BA (12th), .736 OPS (7th), 12 HR (4th)
A solid second start from Paul Skenes also helped alleviate some concerns after he was shellacked on Opening Day, and that improved offense is backed by a 3.33 ERA from the pitching staff that checks in sixth in the majors."
The emergence of Konnor Griffin has really gotten this offense looking like a well-oiled machine. If he can continue to be a presence and guys like Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn continue to keep the pressure on, the Pirates may find themselves fighting for an NL Central championship later this year.
More MLB news:
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- White Sox make quite the leap in power rankings after sweeping Blue Jays
- Orioles' power additions have failed to make their mark early
- Giants' abysmal offense leads to their downfall in latest power rankings
- Red Sox fans won't like where their team sits in latest power rankings