Sal Stewart’s rookie season should have put him in a much brighter spot in the league’s conversation than No. 6.
The Cincinnati Reds first baseman put together a year that was impossible to ignore, blasting 32 home runs and driving in 111 runs while appearing in all 162 games. That kind of production usually puts a player near the front of any rookie ranking, especially for a team that needed impact bats. Instead, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter slotted Stewart sixth among MLB rookies.
Reuter pointed to the parts of Stewart’s game that didn’t carry much weight in the eyes of WAR, saying, "Limited value with his glove and on the bases capped Stewart's WAR total, but there is simply no ignoring a 32-homer, 111-RBI campaign," Reuter wrote. "He was the only rookie to play in all 162 games, and that grind eventually took a toll as he hit .247/.287/.280 with one home run in September."
That evaluation leans heavily on the fact that Stewart plays first base, a spot that does not get much defensive credit in WAR calculations. He isn’t a liability there, but the position itself doesn’t boost his value the way a more demanding defensive home would.
What does carry Stewart is the bat, and it carried him a long way. He showed real power throughout his first full major league season, with the ability to change a game with one swing against just about any pitcher. He also did damage with runners in scoring position, which helped fuel that RBI total.
For the Reds, the bigger picture is clear: they have a young player who looks like a centerpiece if this level of production holds. Stewart is in the mix for National League Rookie of the Year, even if there are a few other contenders in the league, and Cincinnati has every reason to believe it has a potential star on its hands.
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