ShareThisSAN FRANCISCO - One guy announced his arrival to the major leagues by hitting a home run in his first at-bat.
The other was brought in more slowly, donning the tools of ignorance, taking command of one of the best pitching staffs in the big leagues and sparking a franchise to a magical summer ride with his bat.
Jason Heyward. Buster Posey.
Realistically, the race for National League Rookie of the Year has come down to these two. Appropriately, how their respective teams fare as they compete against each other for a potential playoff spot in this final week of the regular season may very well decide the winner.
I am one of two Bay Area writers with a vote for this season's N.L. ROY and, all things being equal, I am leaning toward Posey.
Really, all that could sway me and other like-minded voters would be if Posey went into the tank these last five games and the Giants missed the playoffs, while Heyward carried the Atlanta Braves into the postseason.
Anything shy of that apocalyptic vision for Giants fans, though, and Posey should walk off with the hardware.
Why, you ask, should Posey be the Giants' first Rookie of the Year since pitcher John Montefusco in 1975?
"Because he should be," an obviously biased teammate Matt Cain said Tuesday before the Giants' 4-2 victory over Arizona at AT&T Park.
And really, do Giants fans need any more convincing that that?
"Obviously, we love him here," Cain added with a smile. "He's a huge part of what we've accomplished so far. Think about it -- he's hitting in the four hole, catching every day and being a rookie? That's pretty impressive."
Posey has a better batting average than right fielder Heyward (an N.L. rookie-leading .313 to .279) and has 16 home runs and driven in 64 runs with a rookie-best .508 slugging percentage. Heyward, meanwhile, has 18 homers and 71 RBIs with a .459 slugging percentage.
Heyward has drawn 87 walks, Posey just 29. And yet, Posey had that memorable 21-game hitting streak in July.
Then there's this -- Posey essentially missed the first two months of the season, as he was called up from Class AAA Fresno on May 29, and it's hard to make up for 119 fewer big league at-bats than those enjoyed by Heyward.
We can debate numbers until the Giants win a World Series in San Francisco and point out one ugly truth -- the Giants' rotation had serious growing pains initially with Posey behind the plate.
Entering the final weekend of August, only Jonathan Sanchez had a better ERA with Posey (5.40) than with Bengie Molina (8.31). Tim Lincecum's ERA with Molina, 3.23; with Posey, 5.06. Barry Zito? 2.71 with Molina, 4.67 with Posey. Cain had a 2.85 ERA with Molina and a 3.29 with Posey.
Still, the Giants' staff ERA of 1.84 in September entering Tuesday was the lowest for an N.L. staff this month since the Dodgers' 1.59 ERA in 1965.
Big deal, you say? The argument for Posey does not have to be as forced as Brian Wilson's persona or as concocted as Aubrey Huff's lucky red thong? Put simply, Posey's impact on the Giants as a catcher (he gets mega-bonus points for his position) and clutch hitter has been greater than Heyward's for the Braves.
And yet.
"We're not even thinking of Rookie of the Year," Giants manager Bruce Bochy claimed. "Certainly, when this is all done, it will be talked about. He's right up there with everybody. We know it."
Soon, the rest of the country should know it as well.
(Contact Paul Gutierrez at pgutierrez@sacbee.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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