Nationals lefty Foster Griffin named to National League All-Star team

No one could have imagined this in the winter.

That the Nationals would be in a wild-card race. That they would sport the best offense in the majors. And, certainly, that left-hander Foster Griffin — whom the team plucked out of Japan and signed to a one-year, $5.5 million contract — would be a National League All-Star.

But that’s what happened with Saturday’s announcement that Griffin was named to the National League team, replacing Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft.

Griffin was a first-round pick of the Royals in 2014 and flamed out, then went to Japan, where he pitched for four seasons. He was president of baseball operations Paul Toboni’s first free-agent signing, and thus far he has proved to be the most valuable. He’s been durable and productive, posting a 2.77 ERA across 19 starts.

“Huge honor,” Griffin, 30, said after Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Yankees. “Super proud. Super happy. Appreciate all the support from everybody … from my teammates, support staff, front office, everybody.”

Griffin, who entered this season with seven major league appearances, has more than earned his spot. He leads Nationals starters in bWAR (3.3), innings pitched (110.1), ERA (2.77) and strikeouts (109).

He’s relentless in his preparation, regularly taking notes and going over scouting reports with pitching coach Simon Mathews and catchers Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas in the clubhouse before his starts.

Once considered an afterthought, Griffin has been valuable. He thrives with a seven-pitch arsenal that limits hard contact and induces a fair amount of ground balls. Griffin’s strikeout rate isn’t the most eye-popping, and his fastball doesn’t blow away hitters, but his sequencing and command have led to his success.

Manager Blake Butera said, for as much as Griffin means to the team on the field, he’s just as important off it. Griffin’s competitiveness and preparation stand out.

“There’s been several other pitchers that have said they’ve learned a ton from Foster and the way he prepares, the way he attacks hitters and sequences,” Butera said.

His fastidious nature has been critical to his superb start, which has coincided with the Nationals becoming one of the league’s surprising teams. On Wednesday, he received a standing ovation after throwing seven innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts.

Griffin was informed 20 minutes before he spoke with the media, so he was still processing the All-Star recognition. But there’s something to be said about his perseverance. His unwavering belief in himself allowed him to thrive overseas and achieve major league success later in his career.

“I feel like that’s been instilled in me from a young age with my parents,” Griffin said. “I’ve never really given up. There’s been down times in this game for sure, and there’ve been some highs and some lows, but got to dig through them.”

After the Nationals dropped three straight heartbreakers against the Phillies, Griffin delivered seven innings, allowing one run (unearned) with nine strikeouts and two walks in a walk-off win against the Orioles. He’s reliable, a tone-setter and a calming presence.

Consistency can be overlooked. Griffin’s highlights might not wow observers because he’s not pumping 100 mph fastballs like Jacob Misiorowski or Paul Skenes.

But there’s something to be said for reliability. The Nationals know, every fifth day, they can count on Griffin. He didn’t set any expectations entering the season. He just wanted to enjoy his second go-round in the majors. In a way, it’s the opposite of how Griffin came up.

Expectations are heaped onto first-round picks the second their names are called on draft night. Celebratory moments get turned into barbershop fodder. Lofty projections are thrust onto players before they can even bask in their big day.

When Griffin didn’t make the initial team, he was content because he knew he had performed as well as he could.

So this time he was just going to prepare as well as he could and let his results tell the story.

“Just looking back over all the time and effort and work I put in, it’s a huge honor,” Griffin said, “ and I’m excited for it.”