Pirates icon Andrew McCutchen marvels at Konnor Griffin making Double-A debut at 19

When Konnor Griffin makes his Double-A debut Tuesday night, the 19-year-old shortstop will become the youngest player ever for the Altoona Curve.

Pittsburgh Pirates icon Andrew McCutchen can relate to reaching Double-A as a teenager — he made his Curve debut at 19 years, 10 months and five days on Aug. 15, 2006 — which seems like a lifetime ago for the 38-year-old designated hitter.

“It’s so long ago. I don’t remember too much about it,” McCutchen, now 38, told TribLive. “I just remember I couldn’t drink when we made it to the playoffs.”

McCutchen has followed Griffin from afar and marvels at his rapid ascension through the minors. After reclassifying at Jackson (Miss.) Prep, Griffin had just turned 18 when he was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Griffin will be 19 years, three months and 26 days for his Curve debut.

“You never know what you’re ready for at that age,” McCutchen said. “You just go in with an open mind and do what you’re doing because it’s worked thus far. It’s like, ‘I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing.’ I know he’s doing really good and forcing his way up so far. He’s done great. He just has to continue doing what he’s doing. He’s obviously a special talent.”

Griffin has been dominant in his first full professional season, batting .332/.414/.524 with 21 doubles, four triples, 16 home runs, 72 RBIs, 98 runs scored and 59 stolen bases in a combined 101 games across Low-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro to rise to the No. 1 prospect ranking by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.

Griffin will be the 10th No. 1 overall prospect to play for the Curve, the first since Paul Skenes in 2023.

Be there for history, MLB’s No. 1 prospect makes his Altoona Curve debut tomorrow, August 19!

Don’t miss Konnor Griffin’s first game in Curve, PA.

Get your tickets now! https://t.co/Fu1weF8yPm

Official Press Release: https://t.co/6LjyyMJhyM pic.twitter.com/7WUYPDgfP8

— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) August 18, 2025

Thank you, Greensboro! ????Grateful for my time with the @GSOHoppers and the amazing fans who supported us every night. Excited for the next chapter with the @AltoonaCurve ! pic.twitter.com/5HCiA3D2X5

— Konnor Griffin (@KonnorGriffin22) August 18, 2025

“He’s having a heck of a year,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said of Griffin. “For his first full season to be able to do what he’s done – show the power, speed, play shortstop at the level he’s played it to get to Double-A — (is) really exciting for Konnor and for the Pirates.”

For McCutchen, being promoted to Altoona was a welcome culture change. On the field, he thrived by batting .291/.356/.446 with 20 doubles, four triples, 14 homers, 62 RBIs and 77 runs in 114 games for the Hickory (N.C.) Crawdads, the Pirates’ Class A affiliate from 1999-2008. When McCutchen arrived in Altoona, it felt like he was taking a big step closer to playing for the Pirates.

“Altoona was a big city for me,” McCutchen said. “Everything about the stadium seemed like Major League Baseball to me. I didn’t know what Major League Baseball was, so it was an upgrade for sure.”

The biggest relief for McCutchen is that he finally found a barber in Altoona, though he can trace the start of his signature dreadlocks in the early part of his Pirates career to his days in Hickory.

“I couldn’t even get a haircut for three months when I was in Hickory because I didn’t know where to get one,” McCutchen said. “By the time I got one, I had a little ‘fro so I just kept it going.”

For McCutchen, there wasn’t much of an adjustment to playing at a higher level in Altoona. He batted .308/.379/.474 with four doubles, three homers and 12 RBIs in 20 games for the Curve and was named the Pirates’ minor league player of the year in 2006.

“I didn’t feel younger than anyone. I just did my job and showed up,” McCutchen said. “When people are talking about it, that’s when you shed light to it. If you’re not talking about it, you’re not really thinking about it. (Griffin) can handle it. He’ll be fine. He’s done well thus far, so I just hope people try not to put too many early tags on him now. Just let the kid develop and be a kid and succeed and fail, do whatever. When his time comes, his time will come. It will be good for him. He just needs to focus on where he is now.”