Too Late for a Late Swell?

 

Out of nowhere today came the news that the Pirates are suddenly at .500 for the first time since midseason, and went 4 for 6 against the Chicago teams this week. There's two weeks left in the regular season, and the Pirates are 6 games back from the wild card spot, but...I dunno, I guess it's never too late.

What's helped has been the returns of several very crucial pieces of this team. Konnor Griffin just got activated, and his rookie year continues, though it'll only be a 300 at-bat year at this rate. Still had 22 steals, 27 RBIs, a .262 average, and hit his stride in May and June [right before the injury]. I think he's still kinda ramping back up to where he was, but he's welcome. Same with Ryan O'Hearn, who was hurt for 2 months and is now trying to make up for lost time. He's gonna finish the season, I'm assuming, with 20+ homers and 75+ RBIs, which is pretty good [only Brandon Lowe has more RBIs], and he'll definitely be around next year for more damage. And now Oneil Cruz is back and winding back up, with 18 homers, 63 RBIs, 27 stolen bases and a .273 average, probably the most outwardly lethal season we've gotten from Cruz, which makes it all the more insulting that it was a small sample size again. But all of those pieces are back, and doing their best for the late push.

Yet, concerningly, they seem to have traded off with some other guys who are just now ending their seasons. Braxton Ashcraft got hurt last week and is out for the year, after providing the Pirates' best pitching performance with a 3.65 ERA, 14 wins and 173 strikeouts. The team also just lost star rookie Esmerlyn Valdez, who was able to hit 17 homers and 47 RBIs in 72 games, always a very nice aspect. They also lost Kirby Yates after a pretty strong couple weeks in Pittsburgh. And while Paul Skenes isn't technically injured, it's clear this is a down year due to fatigue from the very strong 2024 and 2025 campaigns, and the hope is he can bulldoze through and pop out way better next year [you know, the way pitchers used to]. The velocity is still not where it was last year, but Skenes still has 10 wins, a 3.78 ERA and 185 Ks. This is a very human year for Skenes, and people assumed he wouldn't have any of those. But here it is.

I applaud this Pirates team for actually getting somewhere with what seemed like the bricks for a competitor, even if it's probably not leading to a postseason spot. Nick Gonzales, Brandon Lowe, Spencer Horwitz, Bryan Reynolds, Esmerlyn Valdez, Jared Jones, Bubba Chandler, Rafael Flores and Jared Triolo all played like firm pieces of a great team. Them not getting there has to do with injury issues, Skenes's inconsistency and the fact that the Brewers and Cubs were just better teams. The hope is that the team doesn't need to get bailed out by a deadline push next year and can actively grow over time and emerge as an under-the-radar threat in a small market. A full year of Konnor Griffin could do that. He's only 20 and the sky seems so high for him.

Coming Tomorrow- A very strong starter for a team that is gonna kick itself for years for not making this season happen.

Worth the Extra Week?

 
Last week I wrote about the Pirates' at-the-time puzzling decision to hold Konnor Griffin back, despite the fact that everyone knew he wouldn't spend the whole season in Indianapolis. And I pointed to all the immediate successes of rookies and Opening Day call-ups. Then this week it became clear that the Pirates' infield options, Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo, weren't gonna cut it, and seeing as Griffin was ready and hitting well in Triple-A, they decided to just quit loafing about and promote the guy. Plus a surprise mega extension contract, which...I assume has made Paul Skenes feel great about himself.

And honestly? Part of me gets why they did this. Especially now that, even in that first week of major league play, a lot can happen.

First of all, from a promotional standpoint, bringing out Konnor Griffin in time for the home opener in Pittsburgh is a smart move. Attendance is already dwindling, that should rope people in for now. It also helps that the Pirates are actually winning games, and swiped some close matches from the Mets and Reds. You could make the case of 'well, with all the games we can win, we don't need the help', and that case makes no sense considering the comparison between two replacement level options and Griffin's potential numbers. It also sets up a continued April swell from a team who are slowly bringing on crucial pieces [and also Marcell Ozuna].

But...even in the case of an early, Opening Day call-up, something ridiculous could happen. A couple years ago Ke'Bryan Hayes got hurt almost immediately as the season began, and I believe it happened to Oneil Cruz as well. Logan O'Hoppe had a fantastic rookie campaign going a few years back only to be sidelined midway through April. And this week, Chase de Lauter's wonderful rookie campaign in Cleveland was tripped up by a foot injury. He's hit 4 homers in 6 games, been the hero in most of them, and now he's being moved to DH for the time being to not exacerbate the foot. 

It's also happened many times that someone has been called up as a sure bet and struggled at the MLB level. Remember Jackson Holliday's 2024 call-up, and how long it took him to figure out the majors, even resulting in a ride back to Norfolk and a ton of stories saying 'he's washed, there's no point, trade him for Tarik Skubal.' And last year he figured it out. Already this year, we've seen the Brewers call up Jeferson Quero then immediately send him down, the Marlins call up Deyvison de los Santos and demote him after hitting a hefty double, and the Mariners keep optioning Ryan Bliss. Some guys just aren't ready even when it looks like they are, or they simply just don't factor into the team's overall plan.

But at the same time, there's also the kinds of guys who come up and make you question why you even doubted them. Sal Stewart for Cincinnati is one of those guys. Last year they called him up for a stretch run, dude had 18 games and he made 'em count, hitting .255 with 5 homers and 8 RBIs. This year he got 1st base straight away, and he's been incredible, hitting .474 with 9 hits and 2 homers in 7 games. People had been calling Stewart a surefire success, and sure enough he feels like the kind of consistent, reliable contact hitter that the Reds had been missing after Joey Votto's retirement. Even in a crowded division, Stewart have given the Reds another crucial piece to get them closer to a perennial playoff experience. 

Konnor Griffin could be that guy for the Pirates. I think they're prepared for either outcome, either he's a Skenes type and it's perfect immediately or he's a Henry Davis type and he's gotta figure himself out for a bit before the magic happens. Still, the sky's the limit at this point.

Coming Tomorrow- I think my skin cleared up a bit in a season without this guy being good at baseball. Oh well, right?