Cincinnati got a jolt of good news Monday night when rookie infielder Sal Stewart was named the National League Rookie of the Year.
Stewart edged out St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt and New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge for the honor, capping a season that put him squarely at the center of the Reds’ offense.
The 22-year-old appeared in all 162 games and finished with a .263/.330/.457 slash line, 57 extra-base hits, 32 home runs and 15 stolen bases. MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon noted that “Stewart became the first Reds rookie -- and the 15th rookie overall -- to produce a 30-homer/100-RBI season,” adding that “Each of the previous nine players that did it since the Rookie of the Year Award began (1947) won it. That list includes superstars Pete Alonso (2019), Aaron Judge (2017) and Albert Pujols (2001).”
For a Cincinnati lineup that leaned heavily on Stewart and Elly De La Cruz, his production mattered in a major way. Without those two big seasons, it’s hard to say how much the Reds’ offense would have struggled in 2026.
Fans were quick to celebrate Stewart’s impact. One Reds supporter said in a social media post shared by the team on Instagram, “I love Sal Stewart because he is everything the Reds need in a player,” adding, “He hustles.
He hits. He's got that wonderful smile.”
Stewart is the first Reds player to take home NL Rookie of the Year since Jonathan India in 2021, when India hit .269/.376/.459 with 57 extra-base hits and 12 stolen bases.
He joins a list of Reds winners that includes Scott Williamson, Chris Sabo, Pat Zachry, Johnny Bench, Tommy Helms, Pete Rose and Frank Robinson.
Defensively, Stewart wasn’t going to wow anyone, but his value went beyond the glove. He gave the Reds needed flexibility by moving around the diamond and helping manager Terry Francona keep his bat in the lineup.
Most of Stewart’s work came at first base, where he played 117 games. He also saw action in eight games at second base, 45 at third base and 11 as the designated hitter.
That kind of versatility, paired with his bat, gives the Reds a player they can build around for a long time.
In Other News...
Jonathan Stewart Just Delivered A Reds Rookie Season Fans Wont Forget
Jonathan Stewarts first full season in Cincinnati ended with the kind of recognition that usually follows a breakout year, not just a promising one. The Baseball Writers Association of America named him National League Rookie of the Year after a campaign in which he played all 162 games, hit .263 and powered the Reds lineup with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs.
For a club that spent the season leaning on his bat, Stewarts production stood out not only across the league but in franchise history, where he reset the rookie standard for power and run production. He led NL rookies in several offensive categories and gave the Reds a middle-of-the-order presence they could count on every day, even as the bigger question now is what comes next after a season like this. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Need An Unusual Offseason Move To Fix Their Pitching
The Reds are heading into an offseason where the pitching staff could look different, and that kind of uncertainty tends to push a front office toward less familiar avenues. One possibility that has surfaced is Japan, where Cincinnati could consider adding a starter with a track record of durability and enough versatility to help stabilize a rotation that may need reinforcements.
The fit is not straightforward, though. Cincinnati does not have the kind of long-standing ties to Nippon Professional Baseball that make these moves feel routine, so any pursuit would require real conviction and a willingness to step outside the usual market. For a club trying to protect itself against possible departures on the mound, the appeal is obvious, even if the path to getting there is still unclear. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Have Every Reason To Push Back On This Award Race
Sal Stewart gave the Reds plenty to feel good about in his rookie season, and the bat alone made him one of the most productive first-year players in the National League. He finished third in the league in RBIs and added 32 home runs, the kind of power output that can carry a lineup and shape an award race all by itself.
Still, Rookie of the Year is rarely decided on offense alone, and this one has a few layers for anyone looking beyond the counting stats. The finalists include Stewart, Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt and Mets right fielder Carson Benge, and the broader numbers paint a different picture, with Wetherholt and Benge bringing more complete value across the board. For Reds fans, the case for Stewart is obvious, but so is the argument that the race may be tighter than his home run total suggests. [Read more 🡒]