What Konnor Griffin has done since he turned 20

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin turned 20 on April 24, since his birthday he’s had four multi-hit games and raised his average 80 points to .262 and his OPS is now .723.

Leaving the teenage years behind seemed to have brought his game to the next level.

“Yeah, it’s been a good start,” Griffin said after he scored the game-winning run as the Pirates finished a sweep of the Reds Sunday.

Griffin is on a six-game hitting streak with five runs and four RBIs during that span. He also driving the ball with a couple of doubles, a triple and a home run. The Bucs shortstop said he’s using the whole field, trusting his bat speed and skills.

He said, and he’s learning cliché’s as well as major league pitching, that he’s taking it one pitch at a time and just trying to do his thing.

“Just trusting my preparation,” Griffin said. “Just going out there and trying to be a tough out like it’s the same mindset I’ve had all year. It is just things are settling down a little bit. Training’s been really good and just trusting my skills and letting the athlete in me take over.”

Those might sound like arrogant words and they are definitely confident, but he doesn’t say it with an air of knowing it all. He’s feeling comfortable, saying in just his second year away from living with his parents, he’s found a home in Pittsburgh. He said everyone in the room supports him and what he loves is he isn’t counted on the carry the team or even be in the top half of the lineup.

“I don’t have to do too much,” Griffin said. “Like I’ll just be a little piece of the puzzle. I got a lot of really good hitters in front of me and my job is to get on base for those guys to drive me in, so I’m gonna try to do that as much as I can.”

After getting swept by the Cardinals at home, the Pirates take all three from the first-place Reds. They are in Arizona on Tuesday night and Griffin is excited to do play the game he loves with this group.

“It just shows that we're a different clubhouse this year,” Griffin said. “We're not going to lay down. We're just going to keep grinding and competing every day.”