The second was a majestic 440-foot shot to left center off Seth Martinez that had an exit velocity of 111.2 m.p.h. The ball sailed far over the Florida Green Monster.
“Everybody’s out here just playing baseball. So I stepped in the box and I was ready to compete,” Griffin said. “I really wasn’t worried about who was on the mound. I was just worried about what his stuff was and how I could have the best approach against that.”
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What most impressed Red Sox manager Alex Cora about Griffin came in the sixth inning when he grounded out.
“Yeah, the homers are great. But then he had a ground ball to third base and he busts his [butt] going to first. … That’s the mark of a pro, a good player.”
Griffin is a 6-foot-4-inch, 215-pound shortstop who has incredible power and speed. His physical tools are reminiscent of a young Alex Rodriguez but with better speed, and he’s more than good enough defensively to stay at shortstop.
“He’s only 19, give it a shot,” Cora said. “This whole thing about big kids can’t play that position, let’s wait and see. He’s a good one.”
The other impressive thing about Griffin on Tuesday was that he signed about a dozen autographs coming off the field as other players walked by the fans quickly. He then seemed genuinely surprised four reporters were waiting to talk to him.
Griffin spoke more about it being a good day for the Pirates than what he personally did on the field. His composure and professionalism for somebody in his second year of pro ball was remarkable.
“We got some good swings off, so kind of smoked them. That was a great win for us,” Griffin said. “We’ve been working really hard this spring, and it’s showing for a lot of our guys right now.”
Griffin hit .333 with a .942 OPS, 21 homers, and 65 stolen bases over 122 games at three minor league levels last season. He has yet to play in Triple A, so making the Opening Day roster might be out of reach. But you could see him on the same field as Paul Skenes sometime this season, and that’s a combination anybody would want to watch.
The Pirates are not yet positioned to challenge Milwaukee in the National League Central. But they could be a team playing for something in September after losing 91 games last season.
They have Skenes fronting a rotation that includes Mitch Keller and 23-year-old Bubba Chandler, a highly regarded prospect. They also added second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder/first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, and designated hitter Marcel Ozuna during a busy offseason. They should improve a lineup that scored the fewest runs in baseball last season.
The Pirates also bring back first baseman Spencer Horwitz and right fielder Bryan Reynolds, their top two hitters last season.
Center fielder Oneil Cruz sharply regressed in 2025, his OPS falling from .773 to .676. At 27, Cruz has to prove the hype early in his career wasn’t overstated.
The Pirates also see catcher Henry Davis at least being a force defensively. The first pick of the 2021 draft has a .556 OPS in 186 major league games despite a .965 OPS over 79 Triple A games.
“Ozuna is a power bat we can put in the middle of the lineup. Lowe has presence. The back of his baseball card speaks for the impact he can have on a team,” manager Don Kelly said. “Pitching is the foundation, but I do think we’re going to be able to score runs. The goal is [playing] more than 162 games.”
The additions gave the Pirates a luxury tax payroll of $127 million, a team record and $19 million more than last season. That’s tip money for the Dodgers but a significant boost for Pittsburgh.
“They did a lot of intriguing things in the offseason,” Cora said. “They added some veterans and they’ve got good pitching — they really do. They play the game hard. They have some big kids in that organization. We saw it; they’re very physical.”
Ben Cherington, now in his seventh season as general manager, spent the winter chasing offensive upgrades and hopes he can refine the lineup a bit more before Opening Day.
“We’re still working at it,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll find some opportunities to add to the offense. But certainly we feel better about the depth of the lineup. The division is going to be tough. … We know we’re going to have to be at our best to compete.”
I asked Griffin how much he was looking forward to hitting one over the real Green Monster some day.
“That would be special,” he said. “Seen a lot of really cool home runs go over that big wall. So eager to join that club.”
The Red Sox have had Isiah Kiner-Falefa taking grounders at first base. He couldn’t be more pleased.
Kiner-Falefa has played every position except first during his career, even appearing in six games as a pitcher. He is eager to check first base off his list.
“I’ve played a lot of second base so I’m comfortable on that side of the field,” Kiner-Falefa said. “It’s just getting the footwork down. I hope I get a chance to play there. It would be fun to say I played all nine positions once my career is over.”
Kiner-Falefa played 119 games with the Pirates last season before he was traded to the Blue Jays. The trade made sense for Pittsburgh at the time, but manager Don Kelly was sorry to see Kiner-Falefa go.
“Oh, man. He can play for me anytime,” Kelly said. “Good at-bats, makes contact, plays good defense wherever he is. He’s a great athlete.”
Kiner-Falefa has averaged 2.4 bWAR and 8.4 defensive runs saved over the last five seasons. That versatility adds a lot of value, which is why he commanded a $6 million contract as a free agent despite a .631 OPS last season.
A few other observations on the Red Sox:
▪ Kelly on righthander Johan Oviedo, who the Sox obtained from the Pirates in a multi-player trade: “Really tough guy to give up. I respect Ovi and what he’s gone through in his life [fleeing Cuba] and then last year coming off Tommy John surgery. He bounced back and gave us good meaningful innings at the end of the season. He’s a great competitor and he’ll continue to get better.”
▪ Alex Cora loves Caleb Durbin.
“He’s a good baseball player,” Cora said. “We got a good one. It doesn’t matter where he plays, he’ll be playing a lot and he’s going to be playing against lefties and righties and be a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Like any manager, Cora appreciates the small things Durbin does. He has mentioned Durbin’s aggressive leads, hustling between bases, his accurate throws, and quick reactions defensively.
“He plays low and he’s explosive. He has a great first step,” Cora said.
The Sox will decide soon whether Durbin plays second or third as they want their infielders to get plenty of work together during spring training. Cora also is high on first baseman Willson Contreras, who has shown sure hands.
Sox first basemen have minus-12 defensive runs saved the last three seasons. Only five teams have been worse.
▪ An agent reached out last season criticizing Kristian Campbell and his representation for accepting an eight-year, $60 million contract and giving up the potential to make considerably more via arbitration and free agency.
For now, it looks like a brilliant decision. Campbell was demoted to the minors in mid-June last season and seemingly has no path to make the Opening Day roster this year barring injuries. But that $60 million is guaranteed.
The 23-year-old is being developed as an outfielder after struggling at second base last season. The Sox remain hopeful he can make the adjustments needed to be a productive player.
