Sal Stewart’s rookie year ended with a stat line that cooled off in September, but the Reds infielder still carved out a place in baseball’s record book.
After taking home Rookie of the Month honors in August, Stewart slumped through the final month, batting .247/.287/.289 in September. Even so, plenty around the game still see him as the favorite to win the 2026 NL Rookie of the Year award, though New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge has trimmed the gap.
What Stewart did on Sunday, though, stood alone. He appeared in all 162 games, something no other rookie managed this season.
That puts Stewart in a tiny club across the majors. Only seven players in MLB played every game this year - eight if Pete Alonso is counted, since his chance to reach 162 was wiped out when Sunday’s Baltimore Orioles-New York Yankees game was canceled. Last season, just six players did it, and in 2024 the number was four.
Stewart joined Pete Crow-Armstrong, Bryce Harper, Junior Caminero, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Bryan Reynolds as this year’s iron-men. He also started every game except July 26 against the St. Louis Cardinals, when he entered as a pinch hitter.
The feat carries even more weight because Stewart is only the eighth rookie in major league history to play all 162 games in a single season. The last to do it was Delmon Young with the Tampa Bay Rays nearly 20 years ago.
While Stewart’s durability gave the Reds a bright individual storyline, the bigger organizational picture is tied to next year’s draft lottery. If the new Collective Bargaining Agreement includes it, Cincinnati would have a 6.4% shot at landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 MLB Draft.
The Reds sit behind the Mets at 8.7% and ahead of the Detroit Tigers at 4.5% in the lottery odds. Joe Doyle posted the full breakdown on September 27, 2026:
- Rockies (19.1%)
- Angels (19.1%)
- Athletics (19.1%)
- Royals (11.57%)
- Mets (8.68%)
- Reds (6.37%)
- Tigers (4.51%)
- Mariners (3.13%)
- Nationals (2.08%)
- Giants (0%)
- Twins (1.62%)
- Cardinals (1.27%)
Cincinnati was already on the winning end of the lottery once before. In 2024, the Reds climbed to No. 2 and used that pick on Chase Burns, who has since become one of the best pitchers in the majors. Earlier this season, the club signed Burns to a seven-year, $105 million contract extension.
There’s also uncertainty hanging over the 2027 season itself, with the possibility of a delay or cancellation because of looming labor negotiations. If that happens, baseball fans may end up turning their attention to the college game next spring, where Reds followers could get an early look at some of the top draft prospects - including players who might eventually land in Cincinnati’s system.
The mood around the Reds online, though, was a lot less optimistic. After the team posted a thank-you message to fans following the disappointing finish to 2026, the reaction was harsh. The replies were filled with anger, profanity, exhaustion, disgust, and, in some cases, flat-out apathy.
That frustration says plenty about where the fan base stands right now. The team’s struggles this season are part of a much longer drought, stretching across the last two decades, and the apparent lack of front office changes has only made the response sharper.
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Reds Suddenly Have A Prospect Climbing Faster Than Anyone Expected
Carter Grahams rise has been one of the more dramatic developments in the Reds farm system this year. After previous seasons left him looking like a fringe name and even put him in danger of being exposed to the Rule 5 Draft, he turned in a massive 2026 showing across two levels, hitting .300/.421/.565 with 29 home runs and 31 doubles. That kind of production changes the conversation quickly, and it has pushed him from afterthought territory into the upper tier of prospect lists.
For Cincinnati, the appeal is obvious: Graham suddenly looks like a player with a real path to major league relevance rather than just a depth piece in the organization. The question now is less about whether he belongs on the radar and more about how soon the Reds might have to make room for a bat that has climbed far faster than anyone expected. [Read more 🡒]
TJ Friedls Reds Story Ended Faster Than Fans Ever Expected
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Friedl took the next step on Tuesday, when the teams transaction log showed he elected free agency. For a player who had been a familiar part of the Reds mix not long ago, the ending arrived quickly and quietly, leaving Cincinnati to move on while Friedl looks for a fresh start elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Elly De La Cruz Just Gave Reds Fans A Needed Reason To Hope
Elly De La Cruz gave the Reds a bright spot to hold onto in a season that ended far too soon. Named National League Player of the Month for September, he closed the year by hitting .348 with nine home runs, 19 RBIs and a 1.156 OPS, a stretch that reminded everyone just how dangerous his talent can be when everything is clicking.
Cincinnati still finished 75-87 and missed the postseason, so the late surge did little to change the bigger picture. Manager Terry Francona has already pointed to the disappointment of the season and the need for urgency and improvement this winter, which puts De La Cruzs breakout month in an interesting place: as a reason for hope, yes, but also as a reminder of how much more the Reds still need around him. [Read more 🡒]