Reds fans won’t like what Pirates just did to Sal Stewart’s Rookie of the Year hopes

Most Major League Baseball experts and pundits probably had Cincinnati Reds' rising star Sal Stewart leading the NL Rookie of the Year voting after the first week of the season. Those opinions will quickly change, however, after it was announced on Thursday that the Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up their top prospect, Konnor Griffin.

Griffin was tracking to be part of the Pirates Opening Day roster all spring despite a relatively unimpressive showing during Grapefruit League play. But his talent is undeniable, and he'll soon have a chance to show it.

Griffin began the year with the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, but after hitting .438 with a 1.196 OPS through the first five games of the season, Pittsburgh's front office had obviously seen enough to make the move. Griffin will now join his teammates in Pittsburgh for the Pirates' home opener on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles.

Reds' rookie Sal Stewart will have ROY competition after the Pirates called up Konnor Griffin

Stewart has gotten off to a hot start in 2026. The Reds' slugger is hitting .474/.615/.947 and has nine hits, including three doubles and two home runs through the team's first six games of the season. Stewart has tremendous plate discipline with more than twice as many walks (7) as strikeouts (3) so far this season.

Reds manager Terry Francona has such high regard for his rookie standout that he's slotted him behind Elly De La Cruz in the batting order. It was assumed before the year began that Eugenio Suárez would take on that role, but through the first week of the season, Stewart has been more than up to the task.

But Griffin's entrance into the Rookie of the Year race will not go unnoticed. Though no one truly knows what to expect once the 19-year-old makes his debut this week, all signs point to Griffin being a star in the making. The Pirates are already working to extend their young phenom, something the Reds consider doing with Stewart.

The NL Central is now home to the top-3 contenders for this year's Rookie of the Year Award — Stewart, Griffin, and St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt.