Pirates fans should find joy in Rookie of the Year race tilting scales in the NL Central

Sal Stewart’s early grip on the National League Rookie of the Year conversation has started to loosen, and Konnor Griffin is giving Pirates fans a real reason to pay attention.

That doesn’t make Griffin the favorite. Stewart’s April still plays a big role. Nolan McLean, JJ Wetherholt and the rest of the field aren’t going away either. But the race no longer looks as one-sided as it did a few weeks ago, and that’s enough to make Griffin’s recent surge feel significant for Pittsburgh.

For a stretch, Stewart looked like he might separate from the field before the calendar even reached summer. The Reds rookie opened the season looking advanced beyond his experience and producing in the middle of Cincinnati’s lineup, slashing .235/.313/.480 in April with seven home runs, 26 RBIs and seven stolen bases.

Since then, Stewart has cooled off in a noticeable way. His 0-for-19 skid became difficult to ignore, and the recent production has looked much more like a rookie working through his first major-league counterpunch. Over his last seven games, he was down around .103/.161/.207 with one home run and one RBI. 

That’s where Griffin has started to make the conversation more interesting. For most of April, Griffin looked like a talented 19-year-old learning the major leagues in real time. That was not a failure. It was always going to be part of the process. Griffin had to absorb that.

He hit .231 in April with 32 strikeouts through his first 30 games. At times, the swing looked long. Pitchers found ways to beat him with velocity.

But Griffin hasn’t stayed stuck.

Konnor Griffin’s adjustment is making the NL Rookie of the Year race more interesting

The most encouraging part of Griffin’s recent run is how he’s gotten there. His stance has looked more balanced and his hands have looked quieter and more ready. Rookie success isn’t just about talent. The separator is how quickly a player can take information, apply it and still keep the athleticism that made him special in the first place.

Griffin is beginning to show that skill. Over his last 15 games, he has hit .313 with a .375 on-base percentage, a .480 slugging percentage, four steals and eight RBIs. He also put together an eight-game hitting streak in which he batted .414 with five extra-base hits. That’s not enough to crown him, but it is enough to validate why the Pirates were willing to let him learn at the major-league level.

Griffin has already shown he can struggle, process what’s happening and respond. Stewart, meanwhile, is dealing with his first sustained rough patch. That contrast is important in an award race, but it also impacts the NL Central.

It’s more than just Pirates rookie versus Reds rookie on a national ballot. It’s also Pittsburgh and Cincinnati trying to prove their next young core is real. The Reds have Stewart. The Cardinals have Wetherholt pushing into the discussion. The Cubs have Moisés Ballesteros making noise. The Mets have McLean in the broader NL race. The Pirates have Griffin, and his progress is no longer theoretical.

Griffin’s case is still developing. His numbers are not as loud as Stewart’s just yet. There will be more strikeout stretches and more reminders that he’s still a teenager facing major-league pitching. Still, the direction matters.

Right now, Griffin is moving forward at the same time Stewart has started to wobble. For Pirates fans, that is the part worth enjoying. 

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