Sal Stewart put together the kind of rookie season most teams would sign up for in a heartbeat. For the Reds, though, even a year with .263/.330/.457, a 112 wRC+, 32 homers, 111 RBI, and 15 steals has turned into something more complicated than a simple celebration.
That’s because Stewart’s September slump opened the door in the National League Rookie of the Year race. He spent much of the season looking like the favorite, and after taking home NL Rookie of the Month honors in August for the second time, he seemed to have the award in hand. But the final month gave other first-year players a chance to push back, and now the race has tightened in a way Cincinnati probably didn’t need.
The competition has been narrowed to four names with any real shot at the award: Stewart, Carson Benge, JJ Wetherholt, and Nolan McLean. On full-season value, each brings a different case.
Stewart’s numbers jump off the page in the ways voters usually notice first. He led the group in the traditional categories that tend to shape award ballots, and his power production stands out in a way that’s hard to ignore.
His 32 homers and 111 RBI give him the kind of offensive resume that can separate him from the pack, especially on a Reds club whose offense was described as vacuous. He also posted 2.0 fWAR, and he played in all 162 games, becoming the eighth rookie ever to do that.
Benge has the edge in batting line and overall value, hitting .282/.346/.430 with a 118 wRC+, 20 homers, 65 RBI, 22 steals, and 4.3 fWAR. Wetherholt’s season wasn’t as loud at the plate, but his all-around profile still pops: .242/.339/.365, 101 wRC+, 17 homers, 51 RBI, 14 steals, and 4.6 fWAR. McLean comes at the race from a completely different angle, piling up 179⅔ innings with a 3.16 ERA, 3.59 FIP, a 26% strikeout rate, and 3.5 fWAR.
What makes Stewart’s September so important is that it wasn’t just a rough stretch on paper. It became the last thing voters saw.
Awards are supposed to be based on the full body of work, but recency has a way of creeping in, and that matters here. If Stewart’s down month and Benge’s strong finish end up swinging the vote, the Reds could feel the hit beyond the trophy race.
That’s because the Prospect Promotion Incentive only pays out if an eligible player actually wins Rookie of the Year. A finalist isn’t enough. So if Stewart falls short, Cincinnati doesn’t just miss out on the hardware - it also loses a shot at an extra draft pick.
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